XXX111 



in her in the West Indies for two years under the late Admiral G. 

 Graves. In 1835 he was appointed midshipman in an expedition 

 consisting of the " Sulphur " and " Starling," fitting out under the 

 late Admiral F. W. Beechey, for exploration and survey in the Pacific. 

 He served for five years in the " Sulphur," chiefly under Sir Edward 

 Belcher, on the surveys of the West Coasts of South and North 

 America, the Pacific Islands, New Guinea, and the Moluccas, and was 

 then transferred as Senior Executive Officer to the " Starling," 

 Captain Kellett. He was present in her during the first Chinese 

 War<kt the taking of the Bogne forts and the capture of Canton. 

 The ship returned to England in 1842. 



After three months in the "Caledonia," under the flag of Sir 

 David Milne, he was, on July 12, 1842, promoted to Lieutenant, and 

 appointed to the " Philomel," fitting for the survey of the Falkland 

 Islands, under Captain Bartholomew Sulivan. The " Philomel " was, 

 however, diverted from this survey to take part in the operations 

 against Rosas, the President of the Republic of Buenos Ayres, in 

 1845-46. Lieutenant Richards was present at the different actions 

 in the Parana and the Uruguay, and commanded the boats of the 

 " Philomel " at the cutting out of a schooner at night under a 

 heavy fire of musketry from the banks of the Uruguay, and received 

 the thanks of the senior officer, Sir C. Hotham, on the quarter deck 

 of the " Gorgon." 



He was senior lieutenant at the attack of the forts at Obligado 

 in the Parana on November 18, 1845, and commanded the small-arm 

 men of the " Philomel " at the storming of the batteries and cap- 

 ture of the guns which were taken on board the ships. On his 

 return to England, in June, 1846, he was promoted to Commander 

 from the date of the action. 



In 1847 he was appointed to the "Acheron," Captain J. Lort 

 Stokes, destined for the survey of New Zealand, and was employed 

 for four years on this service. The existing charts of this colony 

 are mainly the result of this survey. 



Returning home, in 1852, Commander Richards volunteered for, 

 and was immediately appointed to, an expedition fitting out for the 

 Arctic Regions to continue the search for the missing ships of Sir 

 John Franklin, and in April of that year sailed as Commander of 

 the " Assistance," and second to Sir Edward Belcher in the Welling- 

 ton Channel division of the squadron. 



Whilst on this service he conducted several extended sledging 

 expeditions, travelling more than 2,000 miles over the frozen sea, 

 mapping many unknown coasts, and being absent from the ships on 

 such duty for a period of, on the whole, seven months. Commander 

 Richards' unvarying good humour and good fellowship did much to 

 render this expedition a success under very trying circumstances. 



