June 1832. meridian distances — regatta. 79 



had the satisfaction of finding that this third meridian distance 

 agreed exactly with the first and second. Upon further exami- 

 nation, it was seen that the Abrolhos Islands were laid down 

 correctly in the French chart, with respect to Bahia ; but that 

 the meridian distance between those islands and Rio de Janeiro 

 differed more than four miles from that resulting from three 

 measures made by our twenty chronometers. 



A few weeks afterwards all the data and results of these 

 measurements were given to the French Commander-in-chief on 

 the station, who promised to forward them to the Baron Rous- 

 sin ; but I have heard nothing of their having been received. 

 Even those who are disposed to place little reliance on the 

 performance of chronometers, and who doubt the accuracy of 

 distances measured by the transport of time, might be interested 

 by a glance at the particulars of these meridian distances, which 

 are given in the Appendix. They much increased my own 

 confidence in that simple method of ascertaming differences of 

 longitude, and tended to determine my dependence upon a 

 connected chain of meridian distances, in preference to any 

 other mode of finding the precise longitude. 



While watering, and rating the chronometers, a few compa- 

 ratively leisure days afforded a seasonable opportunity for try- 

 ing the quahties of boats, and exciting fair emulation among 

 their crews. With the Commander-in-chiefs permission, and 

 the encouragement of the officers of his squadron, then in the 

 port, some good boat-races were arranged ; and knowing how 

 much might afterwards depend upon thequalities of the Beagle's 

 boats, it was very gratifying to find them excellent. Four of 

 the set were built by Mr. Johns, the well-known boat-builder 

 in Plymouth Dock-yard, and the other two by Mr. May, our 

 carpenter. Captain Talbot, of the Warspite, and Captain 

 Waldegrave, of the Seringapatam, tried their best boats and 

 best men on two successive days, to the encouragement of the 

 boats' crews and boat-sailers of the squadron, and much to the 

 surprise of the Brazilians, who had never witnessed any thing 

 like a regatta. 



From our first arrival at Rio de Janeiro, until we were 



