x i v INTRODUCTION. 



and interfering too much with it. I felt this myself, although it did not cause 

 me much difficulty. The successive resignations of the different officers who 

 had been appointed to the command, led every body to look upon it with dis- 

 gust, and, in consequence, my road was clear, or comparatively unembarrassed. 

 The very state of things that brought the Expedition into general disrepute, was 

 of great advantage to me, for I was left to perform my duties unmolested. One 

 of the difficulties I had to encounter, was to make a selection from the numerous 

 articles provided, and this was a work of no ordinary kind. They may have 

 been all useful, and perhaps necessary for a larger Squadron; but if all had 

 been embarked, every vessel of the Squadron would have been filled. Every 

 expense that could be lavished on its equipment had been incurred. One rule of 

 action soon brought me to dispose of the whole : this was the capacity to stow 

 them; and parts of each were accordingly selected for the new order of things. 

 On the 20th of April, I was informed that the vessels appointed for this ser- 

 vice were the sloops of war Vincennes and Peacock, the brig Porpoise, and 

 store-ship Relief. The tenders Sea-Gull and Flying-Fish were subsequently 

 added. 



The Relief was the only one of the vessels that had belonged to the original 

 Squadron. 



On this reduction of force, it became necessary to change the organization, 

 not only in point of numbers, but also to bring the officers into more intimate 

 connexion with the scientific duties. 



This was done by placing all those departments that in any way appertained 

 or belonged to our profession under my direction, with officers of the navy for 

 assistants. The size and accommodation of the vessels naturally led to the 

 reduction of those departments that were placed under the corps of civilians, 

 including naturalists as well as artists. As many of these were taken as could 

 be accommodated. The selection was made with much deliberation, and with 

 great impartiality. Reference was had to the departments in which results were 

 most to be expected, and most desired by the country. The only new one 

 added was the Horticulturist and Assistant-Botanist, Mr. Brackenridge. 



After the 20th of April, every exertion was made to forward the various out- 

 fits. By the 7th July, the Vincennes and Peacock were taken charge of, and 

 dropped down between the forts at Norfolk, and it was determined that the 

 Squadron should rendezvous in Hampton Roads. On the following day, the 

 seamen were transferred from the Macedonian, which had been the flag-ship 

 under the original organization. I felt some solicitude about the crews. They 



