330 MY LIFE 



economically produced, they would constitute one of the 

 greatest incentives to the study of nature. 



The only other book of much use to me was the volume 

 by Boisduval, describing all the known species of the two 

 families of butterflies, the Papilionidse and Pieridse. The de- 

 scriptions by this French author are so clear and precise that 

 every species can be easily determined, and the volume, 

 though dealing with so limited a group, was of immense 

 interest to me. For other families of butterflies and for some 

 of the beetles I made notes and sketches at the British 

 Museum, which enabled me to recognize some of the larger 

 and best known species ; but I soon found that so many of 

 the species I collected were new or very rare, that in the 

 less known groups I could safely collect all as of equal 

 importance. 



It was, I think, in the latter part of January, 1854, that I 

 received a notification from • the Government that a passage 

 had been granted me to Singapore in the brig Frolic, shortly 

 sailing for that port, and that I was to communicate with 

 the Captain — Commander Nolloth — as to when I should go 

 on board. I think it was about the middle of February that 

 I went to Portsmouth with all necessaries for the voyage, 

 my heavy baggage having been sent off by a merchant ship 

 some time previously. The Frolic was anchored at Spithead 

 with a number of other warships. She was about seven hun- 

 dred tons, and carried, I think, twelve guns. The accommo- 

 dation was very scanty. I messed with the gun-room officers, 

 and as there was no vacant cabin or berth, the captain very 

 kindly accommodated me in a cot slung in his cabin, which 

 was a large one, and also provided me with a small table in 

 one corner where I could write or read quietly. 



The captain was a rather small, nervous man, but very 

 kind and of rather scientific and literary tastes. He wished 

 to take some deep sea-soundings during the voyage, and to 

 bring up good samples of the bottom; and we discussed an 

 apparatus he was having made for the purpose, in which I 

 suggested some improvements, which he adopted. Sailing 

 orders were expected every day, as the ship was quite ready, 



