240 
SIR RODERICK I. MURCHISON’S ADDRESS. [May 24, 1858. 
member. In the mean time many salient and characteristic anec- 
dotes of him having been chronicled in periodicals,* my present 
aim will be confined to a brief sketch of his career and the record 
of those incidents which directly connect him with the Geographical 
Society. 
Born in the year 1774, young Beaufort owed his first instruction 
in geography to his father, the vicar of Collon and rector of Navan 
in Ireland, who made one of the earliest good maps of that country. 
Entering as a cadet in the East Indiaman Vansittart , he assisted 
in surveying the Strait of Banca, and narrowly escaped death after 
shipwreck. Serving successively in different ships of the Royal 
navy, he took part in Lord Howe’s memorable victory of the 1st of 
June, 1794, and acting under Admiral Cornwallis was present in his 
celebrated retreat of the 17th of June, 1795, and assisted in the cap- 
ture of many privateers and other ships of the enemy. On the coast off 
Malaga, he afterwards captured the Spanish polacca San Josef when 
protected by batteries and a privateer by boarding her from boats ; 
not, however, without receiving many wounds, for which splendid 
service the young Lieutenant was rewarded with the rank of Com- 
mander. From that period (1800) until he obtained the step of 
Captain in 1810 he was busily employed in convoying fleets to 
India, partaking in the expedition to the Rio de la Plata in 1807, or 
hovering round the enemy’s ports in Europe. In command of the 
fine frigate Frederikstein , he surveyed the south coast of Asia Minor 
from 1810 onwards, and afterwards gave to the public that remark- 
able work ‘ Karamania,’ which holds so high a place among our 
standard writings on geographical and antiquarian science. While 
on the survey of that coast he was badly wounded by a Turk, but 
was still enabled to complete his work so as to supply excellent 
charts for the Admiralty of the coast of Karamania. After some 
interval our deceased member was appointed in 1825 to the post of 
Llydrographer, which he filled with unrivalled success until two 
years before his decease, when his advanced age and infirmities 
compelled him to resign, to be succeeded by his distinguished eleve 
Captain Washington. 
In reviewing the useful and practical life of Beaufort, it can truly 
be said that during 26 years he so directed the Hydrographical 
Office that it became the model which all other governments sought 
to follow. It was indeed gratifying to men of science to see the 
* See particularly a lively and characteristic sketch of Sir Francis Beaufort, 
‘Daily News,’ January 15, 1858. 
