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adventurer, that the foundation was laid of disease, which was 

 destined to terminate prematurely his valuable life. 



In January 1821 Lieut. Beechey was appointed to the 'Adventure,' 

 then commanded by Captain (now Rear-Admiral Smyth) ; and in 

 November of the same year, he was detached from the ship in charge 

 of an Expedition along the northern shores of Africa, and round the 

 greater Syrtis towards Egypt. In this Expedition Lieut. Beechey 

 surveyed all the coast between Tripoli and Derna, explored the 

 country and antiquities of the Cyrenaica, and determined the sites of 

 the five cities of the Pentapolis. In this service he was accompanied 

 by his brother Mr. Henry Beechey, whose intimate knowledge of the 

 language, as well as of the manners and customs of the inhabitants, 

 acquired whilst with Messrs. Salt and Belzoni during their re- 

 searches among the Pyramids, was of the greatest assistance. An 

 account of this interesting Expedition was published in 1828. 



While on this service Lieut. Beechey was promoted ; and in 

 January 1825 was appointed to command the 'Blossom' on a voyage 

 to the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, intended to co-operate with the 

 Polar Expeditions under Parry and Franklin. During this voyage 

 he passed twice through Behring's Strait, and explored the north- 

 west coast of America, 1 20 miles beyond the farthest point of Cook, 

 attaining to lat. 71 N. and long. 156 W., a spot scarcely 150 

 miles from the extreme point reached by Franklin overland. The 

 intervals between the seasons available for Arctic navigation were 

 passed in visiting many parts of the Pacific Ocean, where he dis- 

 covered and made surveys of several new islands, and contributed 

 largely to the hydrography and general knowledge of those regions. 

 In 1827 Commander Beechey was promoted to the rank of Captain, 

 and in the following year returned to England with his ship, in 

 which, notwithstanding her dull sailing, he had traversed 73,000 

 miles, and rendered valuable service to navigation and general science. 

 In 1831 he published a narrative of this voyage, replete with in- 

 teresting and valuable information, and evincing throughout the 

 high qualifications of the author for the conduct of such an Expe- 

 dition. 



In 1835 Captain Beechey was appointed to the ' Sulphur,' to un- 

 dertake another voyage of exploration and survey, but the inroads 

 which engrossing pursuits and incessant mental activity had even 



