28 LIEUTS. GREY AND LUSllINGTOW's PARTY. 



interest of Captain Beaufort could suggest. It 

 had been determined by tlie Government, — the 

 plan having been suggested by Lieutenant Grey 

 to Lord Glenelg, then Secretary of State for the 

 Colonies, — that, simultaneously with the survey of 

 the seaboard of the great continent of Australia, 

 under Captain Wickham, a party should be em- 

 ployed in inland researches, in order more particu- 

 larly to solve the problem of the existence of a 

 great river, or water inlet, supposed, upon the 

 authority of Captains King and Dampier, to open 

 out at some point on its western or north-western 

 side, then but partially and imperfectly surveyed. 

 This expedition was now entrusted to the command 

 of Lieutenant Grey, — since Governor of South 

 Australia, — who was accompanied by Lieutenant, 

 now Captain Lushington ; Mr. Walker, Surgeon, 

 and Corporals Coles and Auger, of the Royal Sap- 

 pers and Miners, who had volunteered their services : 

 they were to take passage in the * Beagle,' and to 

 proceed either to the Cape of Good Hope or 

 Swan River, as Lieutenant Grey might ultimately 

 determine. It was arranged that they should join 

 us at Plymouth, and on our arrival there on the 

 20th of June, — having called at Portsmouth on our 

 way, — we found them anxiously expecting us. 



Here we were busily occupied for some days in 

 rating the chronometers, and testing the various mag- 

 netic instruments : we also durino- this time swun^ 

 the ship to try the local attraction, which neither 



