42 THE ANTAECTIC VOYAGE : PEELIMINAKIES 



answered, ' Well, perhaps you are right, but at any rate it 

 would never be worth the while of any one to go, who was 

 really capable, as far as mental acquirements are concerned/ 

 Being determined not to be put off, I asked him again ' would 

 he take a Government Naturalist ? * He said, * Certainly, 

 and give him every accommodation,' at the same time 

 adding, what was as much as to say, ' You would never be 

 fit.' I said nothing, but must have looked very sorry and 

 angry, which however he did not see, as he went on, speaking 

 as kindly and almost as affectionately as ever, offering to 

 write me letters of introduction to the surgeon and chief 

 officers of the ship at Chatham, charging them to give me 

 every opportunity of going ashore. I thanked him and left 

 him. Major Sabine was in the room at the same time, and 

 he must have felt for me, after having been so anxious that 

 I should be sent as Naturalist alone. I then went im- 

 mediately to Mr. Children, 1 who was highly indignant, and 

 said I must not go if I am not to be the only Naturalist, or at 

 least the head Naturalist, for that it is utterly impossible 

 that we should agree, each having an equal claim on going 

 ashore, and he the better right. Mr. Brown and Mr. J. E. 

 Gray 2 both said the same thing, and Mr. Children then offered 

 to go to Sir William Burnett to put off my examination, 

 telling me to meet him afterwards. 



This I did, and found Sir William had put off 

 my examination till when I choose, and had strongly 

 disadvised my going except as the only Naturalist in the 

 ship, the more especially as Dr. McCormick was to be my 

 superior. Mr. Brown has gone to Capt. Beaufort, 3 Mr. 



1 John George Children (1777-1852), mineralogist, entomologist, and 

 astronomer, held posts at the British Museum from 1816-40, and was one of 

 the secretaries of the Royal Society in 1826-7 and 1830-7. He was a friend 

 of Sir Humphry Davy, who made many experiments in his private laboratory. 

 His personal kindness to the young Hooker was typical of his character. 



2 John Edward Gray (1800-75), began his scientific work as a botanist, 

 and was responsible for the greater part of his father's book, The Natural 

 Arrangement of British Plants, the first British Flora arranged on the natural 

 system. A quarrel over scientific personalities diverted him from botany to 

 zoology, and in 1824 he entered the British Museum as assistant to Dr. Children, 

 whom he succeeded as Keeper of the Zoological Department from 1840 till his 

 death. His great work lay in the improvement and organisation of collections, 

 and the scientific descriptions which he wrote. 



3 Sir Francis Beaufort (1774-1857), rear-admiral and K.C.B., retired from 

 active service, severely wounded, in 1812, after a brilliant career of twenty- two 

 years. The excellence of his surveying work led to his appointment as Hydro- 

 grapher to the Navy in 1829, where he was eminently successful during his 

 twenty-six years' tenure of the post. 



