2l8 THE VOYAGE. /ETAT. 22. 



warks were high in proportion to their size, so that a heavy 

 sea breaking over them might be highly dangerous. Never- 

 theless, she lived through the five years' work, in the most 

 stormy regions in the world, under Commanders Stokes and 

 Fitz-Roy without a serious accident. When re-commissioned 

 in 1831 for her second voyage, she was found (as I learn from 

 Admiral Sir James Sulivan) to be so rotten that she had 

 practically to be rebuilt, and it was this that caused the long 

 delay in refitting. The upper deck was raised, making her 

 much safer in heavy weather, and giving her far more com- 

 fortable accommodation below. By these alterations and by 

 the strong sheathing added to her bottom she was brought 

 up to 242 tons burthen. It is a proof of the splendid seaman- 

 ship of Captain Fitz-Roy and his officers that she returned 

 without having carried away a spar, and that in only one 

 of the heavy storms that she encountered was she in great 

 danger. 



She was fitted out for the expedition with all possible care, 

 being supplied with carefully chosen spars and ropes, six boats, 

 and a " dinghy ; " lightning conductors, " invented by Mr. 

 Harris, were fixed in all the masts, the bowsprits, and even 

 in the flying jib-boom." To quote my father's description,, 

 written from Devonport, November 17, 1831: "Everybody, 

 who can judge, says it is one of the grandest voyages that 

 has almost ever been sent out. Everything is on a grand 

 scale. ... In short, everything is as prosperous as human 

 means can make it." The twenty-four chronometers and 

 the mahogany fittings seem to have been especially admired, 

 and are again alluded to. 



Owing to the smallness of the vessel, every one on board 

 was cramped for room, and my father's accommodation seems 

 to have been small enough : " I have just room to turn 

 round," he writes to Henslow, " and that is all." Admiral Sir 

 James Sulivan writes to me : " The narrow space at the end 

 of the chart-table was his only accommodation for working, 



