SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHES IN WILD LANDS. 53 



weather for the purpose of foretelling the near approach 

 of dangerous atmospheric disturbances, may, in fact, 

 be said to have been initiated by the late Admiral 

 Fitzroy, distinguished in his earlier days by valuable 

 services in the survey of the coasts of South America, 

 and subsequently as the Commander of H.M.S. Beagle, 

 during her voyage round the world, undertaken for 

 the purpose of scientific research in the third decade 

 of the present century. He was accompanied throughout 

 the last named expedition by Charles Darwin, who 

 afterwards attained an imperishable renown in the 

 world of science as a naturalist, etc., and it is in no 

 wise straining the limits of probability, or of fact, to 

 assume that both these cultivated men laid the foun- 

 dations of future eminence in their respective spheres 

 while engaged in the daily contemplation of the pheno- 

 mena of Nature, during that eventful period (1831 to 

 1836); whether in examining the winds and tides, or 

 the animal inhabitants of the mighty deep ; or else in 

 traversing (as Mr. Darwin did) the almost totally un- 

 known wilderness of South America, together with 

 islands, and other sections of wild country visited by 

 the expedition. 



Fitzroy especially, as the officer primarily responsible 

 for the safety of its personnel, must have been throughout 

 these years constantly employed in the consideration 

 of such questions as we now propose to glance at. 

 Upon the stormy and desolate coasts they were for the 

 greater part of the time engaged in surveying. This 

 subject of "The Wilderness and Its Tenants," must 

 also perforce have been to both gentlemen their peculiar 

 study, just in the same way as we propose to make 

 it ours throughout these pages. 



