150 CHANGES ON BOARD THE BEAGLE. 



against the door, until by their weight they forced it 

 open ! 



During our stay at Sydney some important 

 changes took place among the officers of the ship, 

 the principal of which were the departure for 

 England of Captain Wickham, who had never 

 thoroughly recovered from the attack of dysentery 

 he experienced on our first arrival at Swan River, 

 and the promotion of the writer to the vacancy thus 

 created. Lieutenants Emery and Eden also left 

 for England ; the former was succeeded by Lieut. 

 Graham Gore. 



This almost total change in the arrangements of 

 the ship requiring some delay, and the season for 

 passing through Torres Strait, moreover, not 

 having commenced, it was the 3rd of June 1841, 

 before the Beagle again rounded Breaksea Spit, 

 having touched on the way for a meridian distance 

 at Port Stephen.* Whilst at the latter place, I wit- 



* We ran out of Port Stephen before a westerly gale. After 

 passing between Entrance Island and Soldier Point, we steered 

 for Salamander Head, and then for Tomaree Summit, when it 

 was over the centre of the first projection inside Nelson Head, 

 which led over the south-west corner of the shoal patch lying 

 abreast of Red Point in 4 fathoms. When Nelson Head 

 just shut in Yacaba extreme, we steered for the former, and 

 passing it hauled over N. E, h E. for the western part of Yacaba 

 Head, keeping a white spot on the second point inside 

 Nelson Head, just open of the latter, until the leading marks 

 for running out (which I have before given in my former visit 

 to Port Stephen) were on. 



