INTRODUCTION. xxi 



and justice, touching as lightly as possible on the faults of individuals, and bestow- 

 ing praise wherever it is justly due. 



The objects intended to be accomplished by the Expedition, were such as to 

 require not. merely the usual obedience to the orders of its commander, but demand- 

 ed, in addition, a zeal, that could only be inspired by a strong interest in its success, 

 and intelligence of a higher character than is called into action in the ordinary rou- 

 tine of the duty of an officer. Deficiency in either quality was to oppose an obstacle 

 to the success of the enterprise ; in a word, we were placed in circumstances in 

 which it became necessary for us to perform more than our ordinary duties. Those 

 who felt and appreciated our situation, are entitled to the highest praise ; while 

 some apology may be made for others, who, perhaps, were unconscious of any 

 failure in discipline, or actual dereliction of duty, and may have thought that they 

 had cause to be aggrieved, when they found that I was not satisfied with the man- 

 ner in which their services were rendered ; yet, it was as incumbent on me to see 

 that our work was not retarded by their want of zeal and knowledge, as to shorten 

 sail on the approach of the tempest. 



The instruments I was supplied with, were procured by myself in Europe ; they 

 were made by the best English, French, and German artists. A description of 

 these will be given in the volume on Physics. 



The longitudes of our principal stations have been determined by series of 

 moon culminating stars, and meridian distances have been measured from them to 

 other points by chronometers. 



The latitudes of the important places were obtained by a number of sets of 

 circum-meridian observations of sun and stars. 



The chronometers used were by the best English makers, and most of them 

 performed very satisfactorily. But two out of the twenty-nine became defective, 

 and stopped ; these will be more particularly noticed hereafter, in the volume per- 

 taining to this subject. To it I must also refer for the manner in which our sur- 

 veys were executed. 



The magnetical instruments were by both English and French makers. Results 

 have been had throughout the cruise, and will serve to give a magnetic chart of 

 the world ; these will be published in the volume on Physics. Those observations 

 of more immediate interest in the high southern latitudes, will be embraced in these 

 volumes. 



In the Appendix will be found all the official documents relating to the opera- 

 tions of the Squadron. These I have thought it necessary to lay before the public, 

 in order that it may have a full view of the whole of the operations in which the 

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