l66 APPOINTMENT TO THE 'BEAGLE.' ^TAT. 22. [1831. 



" October 2nd. — Took leave of my home. Stayed in 

 London. 



" 2^th. — Reached Plymouth. 



''^October and Novej7iber. — These months very miserable. 



'"'' December 10th. — Sailed, but were obliged to put back. 



" 21st. — Put to sea again, and were driven back. 



''''21th. — Sailed from England on our Circumnavigation." 



George Peacock * to J. S. Henslow. 



7 Suffolk Street, Pall Mall East. 



[1831.] 



My dear Henslow, 



Captain Fitz-Roy is going out to survey the southern 

 coast of Tierra del Fuego, and afterwards to visit many of 

 the South Sea Islands, and to return by the Indian Archi- 

 pelago. The vessel is fitted out expressly for scientific pur- 

 poses, combined with the survey ; it will furnish, therefore, a 

 rare opportunity for a naturalist, and it would be a great mis- 

 fortune that it should be lost. 



An offer has been made to me to recommend a proper 

 person to go out as a naturalist with this expedition; he will 

 be treated with every consideration. The Captain is a young 

 man of very pleasing manners (a nephew of the Duke of 

 Grafton), of great zeal in his profession, and who is very 

 highly spoken of; if Leonard Jenyns could go, what treasures 

 he might bring home with him, as the ship would be placed 

 at his disposal whenever his inquiries made it necessary or 

 desirable. In the absence of so accomplished a naturalist, is 

 there any person whom you could strongly recommend ? he 

 must be such a person as would do credit to our recommenda- 

 tion. Do think of this subject, it would be a serious loss to 

 the cause of natural science if this fine opportunity was lost. 



* Formerly Dean of Ely, and Lowndean Professor of Astronomy at 

 Cambridge. 



