Royal Naval Biography/Beechey, Frederick William
FREDERICK WILLIAM BEECHEY, Esq.
Fellow of the Royal Society, and Member of the Astronomical and Geographical Societies of London.
[Post-Captain of 1827.]
This officer is a son of Sir William Beechey, Knt., and was born in London, Feb. 17th, 1796, He first went to sea in the Hibernia 110, bearing the flag of Earl St. Vincent, commander-in-chief of the Channel fleet; and served as a midshipman of that ship, under Captains Tristram R. Ricketts, John Conn, William Bedford, and Charles M. Schomberg, from July, 1806, till Nov. 1807; at which period she bore the flag of Sir W. Sidney Smith, off Lisbon. (See Vol, I. Part I. p. 320, et seq.)
After witnessing the flight of the House of Braganza, Mr. Beechey joined the Minotaur 74; and we subsequently find him following Captain Schomberg into the Foudroyant 80, flag-ship of Sir W. Sidney Smith; President frigate, on the South American station; Elizabeth 74, for a passage from Rio Janeiro to England; and Astraea frigate, fitting out for the Cape of Good Hope. On the 20th of May, 1811, he bore a part in an action with a French squadron, near Madagascar, which ended in the capture of la Renommée, of 44 guns and 470 men; and led to the recovery of the settlement of Tamatave, the liberation of a detachment of H.M. 22d regiment, and the surrender by capitulation of la Néreide frigate, armed and manned precisely the same as her late consort, la Renommée[1]. In the following year, he was ordered home for the recovery of his health, and he appears to have afterwards served under Captains Lucius Curtis and T. R. Ricketts, in the Magicienne 36, and Vengeur 74; the latter ship forming part of the expedition against New Orleans. On the 8th of Jan. 1815, he was employed in the boats which dashed across the Mississipi, with a detachment of troops, seamen, and marines, as a diversion in favor of the general attack upon the American lines[2]. His first commission bears date Mar. 10th following; at which period he was serving on board the Tonnant 80, flag-ship of Sir Alexander Cochrane.
Mr. Beechey’s appointments as a lieutenant were, – Sept. 13th, 1815, to the Niger 38, Captain Samuel Jackson, C.B.; in which ship he continued till she was condemned and laid up, at Halifax, from whence her officers and crew returned home in a transport: – Jan. 14th, 1818, to the Trent hired brig, commanded by Lieutenant (now Sir John) Franklin, and fitting out for the discovery of a northern communication between the Atlantic and Pacific, under the orders of Captain David Buchan, whose proceedings have been related in p. 86 et seq, of this volume: – Jan. 22d, 1819, to the Hecla sloop, Captain (now Sir W. Edward) Parry, with whom he penetrated to longitude 113° 54' 43" west from Greenwich, within the Arctic Circle[3]: – and lastly, Jan. 23d, 1821, to the Adventure sloop, Captain William Henry Smyth, who was then preparing to resume his survey of the northern coast of Africa, from Tripoli to Egypt; and At whose suggestion it had been arranged, that a party on shore, to be conducted by Lieutenant Beechey, should proceed simultaneously along the coasts of the Greater Syrtis and Cyrenaica, and from thence as far as practicable to the eastward, communicating from time to time with his vessel, as occasions might offer in the course of their route. Mr. Henry W. Beechey, brother to the lieutenant, and who had already travelled in the Levant, was likewise attached to this expedition, with instructions to examine and report on the antiquities of the country[4].
The Adventure did not arrive at Tripoli before the 11th of Sept.; and it was not till the morning of the 5th of November, that Messrs. Beechey were able to commence their long and fatiguing journey. Their party then consisted of the three gentlemen named in p. 101; three Europeans, who acted equally as interpreters and servants; three Arabs of Tripoli, to look after their horses; one Tchaous, or janissary, belonging to the Bashaw; and an escort of six Bedouins; one of whom was an aged chief, whose daring exploits had obtained for him the appellation of El Dúbbah, or the Hyaena, and who had recently been established as Shekh of Syrt, a district of more than 200 miles in extent, through which they had to travel. On the 20th, they entered Mesurata, a town situated in lat. 32° 25' 1" N., long. 15° 10' 19" E., at the eastern boundary of the cultivated districts, near the Cephalis Promontorium of Strabo, and where the coast begins to trend to the southward.
“Its remarkable position,” say they, “between the fertile regions of the Cinyphus and the barren dreary wastes of the Greater Syrtis, cannot fail to make it an object of more than common interest to those who witness its singular contrast.
“From a high range of sand-hills between the town and the sea, an excellent idea may be formed of this striking peculiarity of situation; and we often toiled up their steep and yielding sides, to enjoy the singularity of the prospect.
“At the foot of these masses, to the southward and to the westward, are the varied and cultivated lands of Mesurata: there are seen endless groves of palm-trees and olives, among which are scattered numerous villages and gardens, rich tracts of corn land, flocks of sheep and goats, and every where a moving and busy population. To the northward and on the eastern side, the hills are bounded by a promontory of sand-stone and the sea. To the south-eastward, a tenantless and desolate waste, without a single object rising from its surface, lies stretched in one long unbroken line, as far as the eye can range. Not a single tree or shrub is on that side to be seen; not a single house or tent; not a single human being or animal of any description. In fact, the effect of the Greater Syrtis, from this place, is that of a dreary moor – a wide tract of level waste land without any thing to distinguish one part of it from another but the windings of a marsh, which threads its dark surface, and is lost in different parts of the unbroken horizon. A more comfortless scene can scarcely be imagined than is presented by the opening of this celebrated region, so little known at any period of history.
“As a general description of the marsh above mentioned, we should say that it commences at Mesurata, and extends southward along the coast as far as Giraff; occupying altogether a space of 101 miles by 15, and narrowing towards its southern termination. A small part of the marsh only was covered with water when we crossed it; but from the alternate laminae of salt and alluvial deposits, as well as from the numerous small shells, principally of the trochus kind, which cover its surface, it is evident that the sea at times wholly inundates it. Our guides were constantly representing to us the danger there was of sinking, with all the usual hyperbole of Arab description. As we suspected, however, that they only made difficulties in order to save themselves the trouble of attending us in our excursions, we paid but little attention to their observations of this nature; and continued to cross the marsh, whenever our duties rendered it necessary that we should examine either the coast or the country beyond it, taking no other precautions than those of keeping in such places as appeared to ourselves to offer the firmest footing. The crusted surface occasionally gave way under our horses’ feet, and discovered hollow spaces of various depths underneath, at the bottom of which appeared water: but as none of us ever sank in very deeply, we concluded that these hollows were too trifling to be dangerous, till experience at length convinced us that a portion of truth was mixed up with the exaggerated accounts of our guides, and induced us to use more precaution.”
In following the route along the coast of the Greater Syrtis, which must have been us formidable to the vessels of the ancients as its sands were supposed to have been to their armies, the first rising ground which occurs, of any tolerable dimensions, is Melfa; where are the remains of an old, dilapidated Marabūt, and occasionally a patch of vegetation, affording a scanty supply to a few miserable looking goats. Arar, between Mesurata and Melfa, is remarkable as possessing a tall and solitary date-tree, the only one to be met with on the coast, in a tract of more than 400 miles.
“Sooleb, (in lat. 31° 45' 40", long. 15° 29' 29") the southern limit of the marsh, according to the dimensions given by Strabo, has the advantage of some tolerable pasturage, and is in consequence occupied by flocks of sheep and goats, which are chiefly tended by negro slaves, who dwell in scattered tents, with the animals confided to their charge. The sight of a little vegetation was by no means unwelcome to us after the dismal prospect afforded by the barren flats we had just passed; and the dreary uncultivated wilds of Sooleb assumed, by comparison, some appearance of interest, which a draught or two of milk, that we were able to procure there, may probably have in some degree contributed to heighten. This refreshment was here more peculiarly welcome, as the water of Sooleb is too bitter, brackish, and stinking, to he drank without the greatest disgust: the purchase of a lamb, also, added meat to our board, which we had not tasted since we left Mesurata.
“After quitting Sooleb, which, we may here observe, occupies the place assigned in modern charts to the Gulf of Suca, we entered again upon marshy ground, and continued our route to Maháda, situated in lat. 31° 31' 57", long. 16° 40' 46". The noxious qualities of the night air in these swampy regions were sometimes severely felt by us; the atmosphere, after sunset, was always very chilly; and there was usually a heavy deposit of dew: a very offensive smell was also experienced in many parts of the marsh.
“Mahad Hassan, in lat. 31° 16' 63", long. 16° 6' 40", is the first place after the long tract of marshy land, which has any appearance of an ancient site. Its remains consist of a number of small quadrangular buildings, similar to the fortresses observable at the different stations all the way from this point to Derna.
“We arrived at Giraff” (224 geographical miles from Tripoli) “on the 11th of December, and pitched the tents upon some sand-hills bordering a plain thickly covered with low brushwood, which extended as far as the eye could reach, and from its green appearance seemed to promise some signs of habitation. Our journey across the marsh had been monotonous and uninteresting in the extreme; no objects had appeared to enliven the scene; and no sounds were heard but the voices of our own camel-drivers, and the tiresome unwearied songs of our Arab escort, which usually consisted of no more than three or four words, repeated eternally without any change of tone, and apparently without the consciousness of the performers themselves. The only sounds which broke in upon the stillness of the night were the prayers of our friend the Dúbbah, as he chaunted them at intervals in a low and drowsy tone; and the howlings of his namesakes, who prowled about the tents, occasionally mingled with the shriller cries of the jackalls.
“On the morning of the 12th, the drivers refused to load their camels; and we were told that they would not proceed any farther, unless we paid them their wages each day in advance. This we refused most decidedly, telling them that we should abide by our agreement, and expected that they would keep theirs: we added, that we were determined at all events to proceed, and that if they persisted in refusing to load the camels, we should do so without farther ceremony ourselves. They made no reply, but all walked away to a little eminence a few yards distant, where they were presently joined by the whole of our Arab escort, except the Dúbbah, and began to prime their guns very ceremoniously, charging such of them with ball as did not happen to be already loaded. We took no other notice of this manoeuvre than by having our own fire-arms in readiness, and proceeded immediately to load the camels ourselves, in which we were assisted by the Bashaw’s janissary, the Dúbbah all the while recommending us to comply with the demand of the malcontents. It here became evident how little dependence was to be placed upon Skeik Mahommed and his company, and we were glad to have discovered this circumstance so early, as it might prevent us from relying upon their co-operation in cases of greater importance. We did not much expect that the Arabs would proceed to extremities; but our party, at all events, was quite as strong as theirs, and we were determined to carry our point. When the camels were loaded, and we were about to drive them off, the warmth of our opponents had abated; for an Arab very easily makes up his mind to submission, when he finds that the chances are not greatly in his favor; and they followed us without offering further resistance, resuming by degrees their customary occupations.
“We now passed over a succession of undulating ground, covered with pasturage, among which appeared flocks of sheep and goats, and here send there an Arab tent. But the most welcome objects which this change of soil afforded, were the wells of sweet water which presented themselves at Zaffran,” (16 miles beyond Giraff). “The little port of Mersa Zaffran, in lat. 31° 12' 48", long. 16° 41' 29", is the first that occurs in passing eastward from the Cephalas Promontorium, and the remains of building which are found there, on the beach, will authorize the conclusion that it was used as such by the ancients. We may fairly consider it as that mentioned by Strabo with Aspis.”
The people who reside at Zaffran, and indeed in every other part of the Syrtis, are Bedouins; for there is not a single permanently inhabited town or village between Mesurata and Bengazi.
“We found them hospitable and obliging, and never entered one of their tents without meeting with a cordial reception: their simple fare of milk, léban, and dates, was always freely offered, and our horses were regaled with a feed of corn, which they usually found very acceptable. We cannot take our leave of Zaffran without noticing the very singular and formidable appearance of the beach on this part of the coast; and had we not ourselves beheld the extraordinary scene which it presented, we should scarcely have believed it possible that the force of the sea could, under any circumstances. hive raised the large blocks of stone which are here piled up. The occasional regularity in which these are heaped one above another, induced us, on the first view of them, to imagine that they had been intentionally placed there, for the purpose of a break-water; but the long extent of the ranges soon proved the impossibility, and the idea was dismissed as heartily as it had been entertained. Heaps of sand and sea-weed are thrown up with these blocks of stone, and the roar and confusion which a moderate gale of wind here occasions, are such as in other places will seldom be found to accompany the most violent weather.
“On the 17th of December, we reached Medmet Sultàn, which has been an important military position, as the remains of several strongly, built fortresses still remaining there will attest. At Nehīm there is a sandy bay, into which ships might send their boats, with almost all winds, for water, at three wells which are situated near the beach. At Hámmah also, a bay still further eastward, water may be procured almost at all times, the sea being rendered smooth by a shoal which stretches itself across the entrance. The two bays may be known by a promontory situated nearly midway between them.
“While we were pitching the tents at Hámmah, some of our horses got loose, and Shekh Mahommed el Dúbbah, who had just come up with us on his trusty mare, was violently assailed by them on all sides. He called out most lustily for help, and in the mean time exhibited uncommonly good horsemanship; wheeling about rapidly in all directions, and making his mare kick out in the intervals, to the no small amusement of our whole party, who were at first too much overcome by laughter to give him any effectual assistance. As the attack, however, began to grow serious, from the number and impetuosity of our valiant Shekh’s assailants, we soon recovered ourselves sufficiently to make a diversion in his favour, and eventually to secure all the horses, though not before the Dúbbah was quite out of breath, and had broken his gun in self defence. * * * * The next morning, he took the doctor aside, and with a significant half-smile upon his countenance, begged he would furnish him with the exhilarating medicine which he had promised him on a former occasion; confessing that as he was going home, from which he had been some time absent, he was particularly desirous of assuming an animated and youthful appearance in the presence of his young and handsome wife, who, he was fearful, he said, had already began to fancy him a little too old for her. He described this girl, to whom he had lately been married, as uncommonly pretty, and only sixteen years of age; and concluded by saying he did not despair, Imsh Allah (please God), that with the doctor’s assistance, he might yet contrive to make himself agreeable to her I The doctor was not long in preparing the draught; and the Dúbbah rode off at full gallop.
“In a ravine at Mahirīga we found some very good water, which was particularly acceptable to a party of pilgrims from the westward, by whom we were joined, on their journey to Mecca. Some of them continued with us as far as Bengazi, and appeared to be very grateful for the few piastres which we gave them there, to assist in supporting them on the road to the Holy City.”
On the following day, Dec. 27th, Messrs. Beechey passed the boundary of the districts of Syrt and Barca, and arrived at Sachrīn, the most southern point of the Gulf of Syrtis, lat. 30° 16' N., long. 19° 18' 33" E. Few parts of the world will be found to present so truly desolate and wretched an appearance as its shores in this neighbourhood exhibit. Marsh, sand, and barren rocks, alone meet the eye; and not a single human being, nor a trace of vegetation, are to be met with in any direction. The stillness of the nights which they passed in this dreary tract of country was not even broken by the howlings of their old friends the jackalls and hyaenas; and it seemed as if all the animated part of creation had agreed in the utter hopelessness of inhabiting it to any advantage. In this neighbourhood was the cave of the formidable Lamia, so much dreaded by the children of the ancients.
“Sachrīn may be said to be the bottom of the gulf, and it was here more particularly desirable to ascertain the exact form assumed by the coast in terminating this extensive bay. We proceeded therefore, to a ridge called Jerta, for the purpose of comparing the actual form of the gulf at this point with that which is assigned to it by the geographers who have hitherto described it. A thick mist for some time concealed every part; but it cleared off before noon, and we had then an extensive view of the whole line of coast. We had the various charts before us, and the opportunity which now offered itself was as favorable as could possibly be wished. But how different was the form which presented itself to our observation, from that which appeared in the authorities which we were enabled to compare with it. Instead of the narrow and cuneiform inlet in which the gulf has in modern charts been made to terminate, we saw a wide extent of coast, sweeping due east and west, with as little variation as possible; and in the place of the numerous ports and sinuosities which appeared in the maps before us, we saw a shore but very slightly indented, which offered no possible security to vessels of any description.
“The chart ascribed to Ptolemy is the only one we are acquainted with which approaches to something like the actual form of the coast; and every step which modern geographers have receded from this outline has been a step farther from the truth.
“From Sachrīn we proceeded on to Braiga, where we were led to expect, from the report of our Arab guides, that we should find a harbour full as good as that of Tripoli. It has been a strongly-fortified post, as appears from the remains of several well-constructed and spacious castles which have been erected there. The best landing for boats was found to be under a high point to the westward; and on the beach at this angle were several heaps of sulphur, collected in equal-sized masses for embarkation, which had been brought on camels from the mines to the southward, and were said to belong to the Pasha of Egypt. If there should prove to be sufficient water in the harbour of Braiga, it is probable that good anchorage would be found there, with all winds, behind reefs of breakers extending across the mouth of it: it may be easily distinguished by the very high sand-hills at the back of it, and by a ruin on the rocky point at its western extremity. Among these sand-hills are some wells, in which the water, though several hundred feet above the level of the sea, is perfectly brackish. Beyond them, to the southward, is a hilly country covered with verdure, in which a number of camels were feeding, and numerous flocks of sheep and goats. If it be necessary to give Braiga an ancient name, we should consider it as the site of the Automata of Strabo.
“We next halted near a bold rocky promontory, called by the Arabs Tabilba, on which are the remains of a castle * * *. On the beach are the remains of a wall, remarkably well constructed, or it never could so long have resisted the violence of the surf which beats against it. It appears to have formed part of a landing place or quay. We have no hesitation in supposing Tabilba to be the site of the Maritimae Stationes of Ptolemy. Its position corresponds so well with that assigned to the naval stations in question, and its remains are so well calculated to induce the belief that they have originally been appropriated to the defence and accommodation of a considerable number of men, that we cannot be sceptical on the occasion. On either side of the promontory on which the castle has been built is a small sandy bay, neither of which at present affords any shelter for vessels, but from which the galleys of the ancients might have been easily drawn up on the beach, when it might not have been practicable for them to keep the sea. Mersa Braiga is in fact the only port in the gulf which can at all be considered as such, in our estimation of the term; and here the shelter is afforded only by breakers, and could not prevent the small vessels of the ancients from being driven on shore in stormy weather.
“On the day after our arrival at Tabilba, we continued our journey along the coast, and proceeded to Ain Agàn, (lat. 30° 33' 57" N., long. 19° 60' 42" E.) To seaward, we observed an island about a mile in length, with breakers east and west of it, extending a considerable distance. The Arab name for this island (which is Gàra) too much resembles that of Gaia, one of those laid down by Ptolemy, to leave much doubt of their being the same. At about a mile from the shore, nearly opposite Aàlum Limirish, is a remarkably white rock, about forty feet high, and steep on all sides; it has breakers scattered about it, and should not be closely approached till better known: beyond this rock, which is called Ishaifa, we perceived the sea breaking heavily over another rock, as much as four miles from the shore, which extends itself in reefs towards Gàra. On coming abreast of Gàra, which lies about six miles off shore, we had a good opportunity of observing it with our glasses; it appeared to be covered with verdure, and we thought we perceived some appearances of building upon it. It was in vain that we longed for some means of crossing over to this island, for there is not a boat or a vessel of any description to be found from one end of the Gulf of Syrtis to the other; but we consoled ourselves with the idea that it would be visited by the officers of the Adventure, which we afterwards found to have been the case.
“Near Sheibah (lat. 30° 38' 35", long. 19° 58' 23") we found the water tasted very strong of sulphur, besides being brackish and stinking; but among some sand-hills two miles beyond it, there were several wells of sweet water: a circumstance which it is essential to know, as the water of Sheibah can scarcely be called drinkable, and there is no other but that just alluded to, at less than two days from the place.
“At a short distance from Rhout el Assoud (lat. 30° 50', long. 20° 6'), wc observed to the north-eastward, about a mile distant from the shore, six rocks connected by breakers, under which there appeared to be good anchorage for small vessels: the coast opposite them is low, and formed in shallow sandy bays, some of which have rocks extending across their entrance, and would afford protection for boats. On the following day we reached Carcora, where there are two coves which would serve for boats: they may be known by some high sand-hills lying between them, and by two ruins situated upon the hills inland nearly abreast of them. At the foot of the sand-hills there are some springs of fresh water, remarkably sweet and good, within a few feet of an extensive salt-marsh, and on the same level with it. With the exception of the above coves, there is nothing whatever of any interest en the coast between Carcora and Bengazi, the former situated in lat. 31° 26' 23", long. 20° 2' 45"; the latter in lat. 32° 6' 54", and built upon the site once occupied by Berenice, the most western city of the Pontapolis.
“When we arrived within a day’s journey of Bengazi, the weather. Which had hitherto been very fine for the time of year, began to show that the rainy season had commenced in good earnest, and we congratulated ourselves in having escaped it so long; for had the bad weather over-taken us sooner, it would effectually have put an end to our researches, and obliged us to advance as fast as possible upon Bengazi, the only place which could have sheltered us between Mesurata and Derna. Indeed, it would have been difficult to make any progress at all; for the ravines would, in a few hours, have assumed the form of torrents, and the marshy ground have become every where dangerous, and in most places wholly impassable; our camels, besides, would have fallen every moment under their loads, as they cannot keep their feet in slippery weather, and some of our horses would certainly have sunk under the exertions winch would have been necessary to overcome these additional disadvantages. As it was, we had been obliged to lead two of the horses for several days before our arrival at Bengazi, and it would indeed be thought extraordinary by those accustomed only to the horses of Europe, that any of them arrived there at all after the fatigues and privations which they had endured. They had all of them been rode through the whole of the day, over a country without any roads, for more than two months successively, exposed to the heat of the sun during the day, and without any shelter from the cold and damp of the night; while at the same time. Instead of having any’ extra allowance to enable them to support this exertion, they were often left, unavoidably, for more than four-and-twenty hours without any thing whatever to eat or drink, and on one occasion, were as much as four days without a drop of water of any kind. A few weeks repose, in a comfortable stable, at Bengazi, was however sufficient to restore most of our horses to their former strength and condition; and they afterwards carried us in very good style over the steep woody hills and rugged passes of the Cyrenaica.
“The harbour of Bengazi appears to have been formerly capable of containing good-sized vessels, and, even in the recollection of some of the present inhabitants, the Bashaw’s ships were accustomed to lie, where now only boats can be accommodated. At present it can only be entered by small vessels, drawing seven or eight feet water, and that merely in moderate weather. It is well protected from the sea by reefs of rocks, between which the entrance is so narrow as to render a pilot necessary.”
Having now reached the spot where moat authors have placed the Gardens of the Hesperides, the Messrs. Beechey addressed themselves to the examination of this memorable site of remote mythology; and have elucidated the question in a manner at once satisfactory and entertaining. They subsequently visited and obtained plans of the ancient cities of Teuchira, Ptolemeta, Cyrene, and Apollonia; discovered the troglodytes, or inhabitants of caves[5]; completed the exploration of an extensive tract of coast which had been hitherto unsurveyed; and made drawings of every object of note which presented itself on the field of their operations. Circumstances, however, prevented their going further eastward than Derna, and limited the period of their stay in the Pentapolis to a much shorter period than they had originally expected. On the 25th of July, 1822, they embarked at Bengazi on board a bullock-vessel bound to Malta; and from thence returned to England.
Some time previous to his departure from Africa, Mr. Frederick W. Beechey had been promoted to the rank of commander; and on the 12th of Jan. 1825, he was appointed to the Blossom sloop, fitting out for a voyage to the Pacific and Behring’s Strait, to co-operate with the polar expeditions under Captains Parry and Franklin. During his absence from England, a period of three years and a half, he sailed 73,000 miles, and experienced every vicissitude of climate.
After touching at Teneriffe, Rio Janeiro, Conception, Valparaiso, and Easter Island (where a native chief appears to have been shot whilst heading his people in an attack upon the boats of the Blossom), Commander Beechey surveyed Ducie’s and Elizabeth Islands, the latter of which he found “differed essentially from all others in its vicinity, and belonged to a peculiar formation.” He then proceeded to Pitcairn’s Island, now well known to the world as the last refuge of the mutineers of the Bounty, the details of whose extraordinary history we first made public, in the years 1825 and 1827[6]. Speaking of their descendants, he says:–
“The Pitcairn Islanders are tall, robust, and healthy. Their simple food and early habits of exercise give them a muscular power and activity not often surpassed. It is recorded among the feats of strength which these people occasionally evince, that two of the strongest on the island, George Young and Edward Quintal, have each carried, at one time, without inconvenience, a kedge anchor, two sledge hammers, and an armourer’s anvil, amounting to upwards of six hundred weight; and that Quintal, at another time, carried a boat twenty-eight feet in length. Lieutenant Edward Belcher (assistant-surveyor[errata 1]), who was admitted to be the most active among the officers on board, and who did not consider himself behind-hand in such exploits, offered to accompany one of the natives down a difficult descent, in spite of the warnings of his friends that he was unequal to the task. They, however, commenced the perilous descent, but Mr. Belcher was obliged to confess his inability to proceed, while his companion, perfectly assured of his own footing, offered him his hand, and undertook to conduct him to the bottom, if he would depend on him for safety.
“In the water they are almost as much at home as on land, and can remain nearly a whole day in the sea. They frequently swam round their little island, the circuit of which is at the least seven miles. When the sea beat heavily on the island, they have plunged into the breakers, and swam to sea beyond them. This they sometimes did pushing a barrel before them, when it could be got off in no other way, and in this manner we procured several tons of water without a single cask being stove. The women are nearly as muscular as the men, and taller than the generality of their sex. Polly Young, who is not the tallest upon the island, measured five feet nine inches and a half. Accustomed to perform all domestic duties, to provide wood for cooking, which is there a work of some labour, and sometimes to till the ground, their strength is in proportion to their muscularity; and they are no less at home in the water than the men.”
In the equipment of the Blossom, a decked barge was built purposely for her by Mr. Peeke of Woolwich dock-yard, upon a model highly creditable to his professional ability, and finished in the most complete manner. As the ship was now about to enter a sea crowded with islands which rise abruptly to the surface, without any soundings to give warning of their vicinity, this little vessel was likely to be of the greatest service, not only in a minute examination of the shore, but, by being kept a-head during the night, to give notice of any danger that might lie in her route. She was accordingly equipped, provisioned for six weeks, and the command of her given to Mr. Thomas Elson, formerly master of the Adventure; an able officer, having with him Mr. Richard Brydges Beechey, midshipman, and a crew of eight seamen and marines.
About ninety miles to the northward of Pitcairn, there is a coral formation, which has been named Oeno Island, after a whale-ship, whose master supposed that it had not before been seen ; though the discovery belongs to Mr. Henderson, the commander of a Calcutta trader. It is so low that it can be discerned at only a very few miles distance, and is highly dangerous to a night navigation.
“Lieutenant Belcher was sent to ascertain the depth of water round this island, with permission to land if unattended with danger; and Mr. Collie (surgeon) accompanied him, Mr. Edward Barlow being midshipman of the boat. Pulling round the island, they came to a place where the sea appeared tolerably smooth, and where in the opinion of the officers a landing might he effected. The boat was accordingly anchored, and Messrs. Belcher and Collie prepared to land, veering her into the surf, and jumping upon the reef. They had half filled two life-preservers, with which they were provided, when Mr. Belcher observed a heavy roller rising outside the boat, and desired the crew to pull and meet it; a second rose still higher, and came with such violence that the sitters in the stern of the boat were thrown into the sea; a third, of still greater force, carried all before it, upset the boat, and rolled her over upon the reef, where she was ultimately broken to pieces. Mr. Belcher had a narrow escape, the boat being thrown upon him, the gunwale resting upon his neck and keeping him down; but the next sea extricated him, and he went to the assistance of his companions; all of whom were fortunately got upon the reef, except one young lad, who probably became entangled with the coral, and was drowned. The accident was immediately perceived from the ship, and all the boats were sent to the assistance of the survivors; but the surf rolled so furiously upon the shore as to occasion much anxiety about rescuing them. At last a small raft was constructed, and Lieutenant John Wainwright, finding no other means of getting a line to them, boldly jumped overboard, with a lead-line in his hand, and suffered himself to he thrown upon the reef. By this contrivance all the people were got off, one by one, though severely bruised and wounded by the coral and spines of the echini.
“Mr. Belcher here had another escape, by being washed off the raft, his trowsers getting entangled in the coral at the bottom of a deep chasm. Fortunately they gave way, and he rose to the surface, and by great effort swam through the breakers. Lieutenant Wainwright was the last that was hauled off. To this young officer the greatest praise is due for his bravery and exertions throughout. But for his resolution, it is very doubtful whether the party would have been relieved from their perilous situation, as the tide was rising, and the surf upon the reef momentarily increasing.”
On the 27th of Dec, Commander Beechey made Crescent Island; and on the 2nd of Jan. 1826, he took formal possession of Gambier’s Group, which had been discovered by the ship Duff, when passing to the northward, on a missionary voyage, in 1707. The natives of these islands, all of which are situated in a lagoon formed by a reef of coral, soon evinced an insatiable desire to appropriate to themselves the property of others, and three or four of them appear to have been wounded by the Blossom’s people, in various scuffles.
“It is to be regretted,” says her commander, “that their disposition obstructed the friendly intercourse we were anxious to establish. The task of correcting their evil propensities unfortunately devolved upon us, as the first visitors to the islands; and we could not prolong our stay, or devote the time that was necessary while we did remain, to conciliate their friendship. But though unsuccessful in this respect, it is to be hoped that our visit will prove beneficial to others, by directing them to a port in which ships may be refitted or repaired, and where they may procure a: supply of good water, than which nothing is more important to the navigation of these seas; as that indispensable article is not found to exist in a pure state any where between Otaheite and the coast of Chili, a distance of 4000 miles, Pitcairn Island excepted, where the difficulty of getting it off has already been mentioned. It is also presumed, that the position of the islands having been ascertained, the peaks of Mount Duff, which are high, and distinguishable at a great distance, will serve as a guide to the labyrinth of coral islands which the navigator, after passing this group, has to thread on his way to the westward.”
The east peak of Mount Duff is situated in lat. 23° 7' 58" S., and long. 134° 55' 31" W.; the variation 7° 15' E.
Commander Beechey next proceeded to Lord Hood’s island, and from thence to Clermont Tonnere, off which he had a narrow escape from a waterspout of more than ordinary size.
“It approached amidst heavy rain, thunder, and lightning, and was not seen until very near to the ship. As soon as she was within its influence, a gust of wind obliged him to take in every sail, and the topsails, which could not be furled in time, were in danger of splitting. The wind blew with great violence, momentarily changing its direction, as if it were sweeping round in short spirals; the rain, which fell in torrents, was also precipitated in curves with short intervals of cessation. Amidst this thick shower the water spout was discovered, extending in a tapering form from a dense stratum of cloud to within thirty feet of the water, where it was hid, by the foam of the sea being whirled upwards with a tremendous giration. It changed its direction after it was first seen, and threatened to pass over the ship; but being directed from its course by a heavy heavy gust of wind, it gradually receded. On the dispersion of this magnificent phenomenon, the column was observed to diminish gradually, and at length to retire to the cloud, from whence it had descended in an undulating form.
“Various causes have been assigned for these formations, which appear to be intimately connected with electricity. On the present occasion a ball of fire was observed to be precipitated into the sea, and one of the boats, which was away from. the ship, was so surrounded by lightning, that Lieutenant Belcher thought it advisable to get rid of the anchor, by hanging it some fathoms under water, and to cover the seamen’s muskets. From the accounts of this officer and Mr. William Smyth, admiralty mate, who was likewise at a distance from the ship, the column of the waterspout first descended in a spiral form, until it met the ascending column a short distance from the sea; a second and a third were afterwards formed, which subsequently united into one large column, and this again separated into three small spirals and then dispersed. It is not impossible that the highly rarefied air confined by the woods encircling the lagoon islands may contribute to the formation of these phenomena.”
After quitting Clermont Tonnere, the Blossom successively made Serle, Whitsunday, Queen Charlotte’s, Lagoon, Thrum-Cap, and Egmont Islands.
“Whitsunday Island, “discovered by Captain Wallis, in 1767, is only a mile and a half in length, and situated forty miles to the westward of the place assigned to it.” Queen Charlotte’s Island afforded him a plentiful supply of cocoa-nuts, “but at present not a tree of that description is to be seen.”
Commander Beechey subsequently discovered five islands, to which he gave the names of Barrow, Cockburn, Byam Martin, Croker, and Melville. He also searched for and found Carysfort Island, which appears to have been correctly described by Captain Edwards. Of thirty-two islands which the Blossom visited in succession, only twelve, including Pitcairn’s, are inhabited, and the amount of the population, altogether, does not exceed 3100 souls. Respecting the manner in which they probably received their aborigines, a question which has perplexed philosophers, and given rise to many ingenious theories, her commander say:–
“The intimate connexion between the language, worship, manners, customs, and traditions of the people who dwell upon them, and those of the Malays and other inhabitants of the great islands to the westward, leaves no doubt of frequent emigrations from thence, and we naturally look to those countries as the source from which they have sprung. The difficulty, however, instantly presents itself of proceeding so vast a distance in opposition to the prevailing wind and current, without vessels better equipped than those which are in the possession of those people. This objection is so powerful in the minds of some authors, that they have had recourse to the circuitous route through Tartary, across Behring’s Strait, and over the American continent, to bring them to a situation whence they might be drifted by the ordinary course of the winds to the lands in question. But had this been the case, a more intimate resemblance would surely be found to exist between the American Indians and the natives of Polynesia. The accident which threw in our way Tuwarri and his companions,” (a party found on Byam Martin’s Island) “who were driven 600 miles in a direction contrary to the trade-wind, in spite of their utmost exertions, has fortunately enabled us to remove the objections which have been urged against the general opinion. Though this is the only instance that has come to our knowledge, there is no reason why many other canoes may not have shared a similar fate; and some few of many thousands, perhaps, may have drifted to the remotest islands of the archipelago, and thus peopled them.
“The subject of the formation of these islands is one of great interest, and will require a numerous and careful collection of facts before any entirely satisfactory conclusion can be arrived at. I regret that my time did not permit me to inquire more particularly into this curious matter; but having to survey about fifty islands, some of which were of great extent, in the space of about four months, I could not accomplish more than was absolutely necessary for the purposes of a safe navigation of the Archipelago.”
We cannot follow our talented author into the very interesting details which he presents us, of the character and manners of the Otaheitans, among whom he remained, passing his time very agreeably, from March 18th until April 26th, 1826. In the beginning of the following month, his officers and ship’s company generally were afflicted with dysentery, and he had the misfortune to lose Mr. John Crawley, a young gentlemen of very good abilities, who died much regretted by all on board. On the 6th, the captain’s steward sunk under the same complaint; and next day, great apprehensions were entertained for Mr. George T. Lay, the naturalist. On the 19th, the Blossom anchored outside the reefs of Honoruru, the principal port of the Sandwich Islands; on the 31st, she sailed from thence for Oneehow, the westernmost of the same group; and on the 28th of June, we find her entering the harbour of Petropaulski, in Kamschatka, after having traversed nearly 700 miles in so thick a fog that it was scarcely possible to see fifty yards from the vessel.
Commander Beechey’s object was now to make the best of his way to Chamisso Island, in Kotzebue Sound, as there were but three weeks left before the appointed time of rendezvous there; and accordingly every effort was directed toAvards that end.
“With the summer characteristics of this latitude – fine weather and a thick fog – we advanced,” says he, “to the northward, attended by a great many birds, nearly all the same kind as those which inhabit the Greenland Sea. In lat. 60° 47' N. we noticed a change in the colour of the water, and on sounding found 54 fathoms. From that time until we took our departure from this sea, the bottom was always within reach of our common lines. The water shoaled so gradually, that on the 16th, after having run 150 miles, we had 31 fathoms. Here the ground changed from mud to sand, and apprized us of our approach to St. Lawrence Island, which on the following morning, was so close to us that we could hear the surf upon the rocks. The fog was at the same time so thick that we could not see the shore; and it was not until some time afterwards, when we had neared the land by means of a long ground swell, for it was then quite calm, that we discovered the tops of the hills. On the 19th we saw King’s Island, which, though small, is high and rugged, and has low land at its bate, with apparently breakers off the south extreme. We had now advanced sufficiently far to the northward, to carry on our operations at midnight; an advantage in the navigation of an unfrequented sea which often precludes the necessity of lying to.
“It was on one of those beautiful still nights, well known to all who have visited the arctic regions, when the sky is without a cloud, and when the midnight sun, scarcely his own diameter below the horizon, tinges with a bright hue all the northern circle – when the ship, propelled by an increasing breeze, glides rapidly along a smooth sea, startling from her path flocks of lummes and dovekies, and other aquatic birds, whose flight may, from the stillness of the night, be traced by the ear to a considerable distance – that we approached the strait which separates the two great continents, not a little anxious that the fog, the almost certain successor to a fine day in high latitudes, should hold off until we had satisfactorily decided a geographical question of some importance, as connected with our immortal countryman. Captain Cook.
“That excellent navigator, in his discoveries of these seas, placed three islands in the middle of the strait: Kotzebue, however, in passing them, fancied he saw a fourth, and conjectured that it must have been either overlooked by Cook and Clerke, or that it had been since raised by an earthquake. The hope of being the first to determine the question, added to a patriotic feeling for the honor of our countrymen, increased in an especial degree our anxiety to advance. The land on the south side of St. Lawrence Bay first made its appearance, and next the lofty mountains at the back of Cape Prince of Wales; then hill after hill rose alternately on either bow, curiously refracted, and assuming all the various forms which that phenomenon of the atmosphere is known to occasion. At last, at the distance of fifty miles, the Diomede Islands, and the eastern Cape of Asia, rose above our mast-head. But, as if to teach us the necessity of patience in the sea we were about to navigate, before we had satisfied our doubts, a thick fog enveloped every thing in obscurity. We continued to run on, assisted by a strong northerly current, until seven o’clock the next morning, when the western Diomede was seen through the fog close to us. I steered for the situation of the supposed additional island, until by our reckoning we ought to have been upon it, and then hauled over towards the American shore. In the evening the fog cleared away, and our curiosity was at last satisfied. The extremities of the two great continents were distinctly seen, and the islands in the strait clearly ascertained to be only three in number, and occupying nearly the same situations in which they were placed in the chart of Captain Cook. * * * East Cape, in almost every direction, is so like an island, that I have no doubt it was the occasion of the mistake which the Russian navigator has committed.
“We entered Kotzebue Sound early in the morning of the 22d of July, and plied against a contrary wind, guided by the soundings; the appearance of the land being so distorted by mirage, and in parts so obscured by low fog, that it was impossible to distinguish where we were. When it cleared off we were much surprised to find ourselves opposite a deep inlet in the northern shore, which had escaped the observation of Captain Kotzebue. I named it Hotham Inlet, in compliment to the Hon. Sir Henry Hotham, K.C.B. We stood in to explore it, but found the water too shallow, and were obliged to anchor in four fathoms, to avoid being carried away by a strong tide, which was setting out of the sound, the wind being light and contrary. As it would be necessary to remain three or four days at Chamisso Island to increase our stock of water, previous to proceeding to the northward, the barge was hoisted out and sent to examine the inlet, under the command of Mr. Elson. The time to which it was necessary to limit him prevented his doing more than ascertaiining that this opening was navigable only by small boats; and, from the water being fresh at some distance up, that it could not lead to any sea beyond.”
On the 9th of August, Commander Beechey landed on a small cape, situated in the depth of a great bay, between Cape Lisburn and Icy Cape, to which he has given the name of Beaufort, in compliment to the present Admiralty hydrographer. On the 13th, the Blossom was in lat. 171° 8' N., long. 163° 40' W., and close to a pack of ice extending from N. 79° E. to S. 29° W. (true). The weather being still foggy, she now stood off-and-on until the morning of the 15th, when land was discovered bearing N. 86° E., and extending in a N.E. direction as far as it could be seen. Within three miles of the ship was “an opening into a spacious lake, which appeared to be the estuary of a considerable river;” and to the northward of this opening the coast presented an extensive range of mud cliffs, in which the Esquimaux had already constructed their winter habitations. The nearest conspicuous point of the coast to the most distant land seen from the ship, was named after Captain Franklin. At this place in particular, where the natives appeared to be 80 numerous that they could have overpowered his party in a minute, it was gratifying to find them extremely well-disposed.
“After they were gone,” says Commander Beechey, “we stood to the north-westward, in the hope (hut the wind, which had been a long time in the north-eastern quarter, would remain steady until we ascertained the point of conjunction of the ice and the land. Unfortunately, while we were doing this, the wind fell light, and gradually drew round to the north-westward; and apprehending it might get so far in that direction as to embay the ship between the land and the ice, it became my duty to consider the propriety of awaiting the result of such a change; knowing the necessity of keeping the ship in open water, and at all times, as fur as could be done, free from risk, in order to insure her return to the rendezvous in Kotzebue Sound.
“There was at this time no ice in sight except a berg that was aground inshore; and though a blink round the northern horizon indicated ice in that direction, yet the prospect was so flattering that a general regret was entertained that an attempt to effect the north-eastern passage did not form the object of the expedition.
“We all felt the greatest desire to advance; but considering what would be the consequences of any accident befalling the ship, which might either oblige her to quit these seas at once, or prevent her returning to them a second year, it was evident that her being kept in open water was paramount to every other consideration; particularly as she had been furnished with a decked launch, well adapted by her size to prosecute a service of this nature. It was one of those critical situations in which an officer is sometimes unavoidably placed; and had further discovery depended upon the Blossom alone, it is probable I should have proceeded at all hazards. My orders, however, being positive to avoid the chance of being beset in the ship, I considered only how I could most beneficially employ both vessels, and, at the same time, comply with the spirit of my instructions. Thus circumstanced, I determined to despatch the barge along the coast, both with a view of rendering Captain Franklin’s party the earliest possible assistance, and of ascertaining how far it was possible for a boat to go. Not a moment was to be lost in putting this project in execution, as the middle of August had arrived, and we could not calculate on a continuance of the fine weather with which we had hitherto been favored. We accordingly returned towards Icy Cape, in order to join the barge, which was surveying in that direction.
“My intentions were no sooner made known, than I had urgent applications for the command of the barge from the superior officers of the ship, who, with the ardour natural to their profession when any enterprise is in view, came forward in the readiest manner, and volunteered their services; but Mr. Elson had hitherto acquitted himself so much to my satisfaction, that I could not in justice remove him; more especially at a moment when the service to be performed was inseparable from risk. Mr. Smyth, the senior mate of the ship, was placed with Mr. Elson, who had besides under his command a crew of six seamen and two marines.
“Since our separation, the barge had kept close along the beach, and ascertained the continuity of the land from the spot where the ship quitted the coast to Icy Cape, thereby removing all doubts on that head, and proving that Captain Franklin would not find a passage south of the cape to which I had given his name. On the 17th, at midnight, I made Mr. Elson’s signal to part company, and he commenced his interesting expedition with the good wishes of all on board.”
From the time of his passing Behring’s Strait up to the 23d of August, Commander Beechey enjoyed an almost uninterrupted series of favorable weather; during which a survey was made of the whole of the coast from Cape Prince of Wales, as far to the northward as he deemed it prudent to go. Now, however, there appeared to be a break up, and a commencement of westerly winds, which, together with several hours of darkness, rendered it necessary to keep the ship at a distance from the land. In doing this, the chances were equal that Captain Franklin, in the event of his success, would pass her: he therefore determined to repair to the rendezvous in Kotzebue Sound, and, as nothing further could be done at sea, to await there the arrival of his boat and of the land expedition. We should before have observed, that on his arrival at Petropaulski, Commander Beechey had received despatches from England, announcing the failure of Captain Parry, and desiring him to cancel that part of his instructions which related to the Hecla and Fury.
After an absence of twenty-three days, Mr. Elson returned to Chamisso Island, and reported, that he had discovered a large extent of coast beyond Point Franklin, and had proceeded to the latitude of 71° 23' 31" N., and long. 156° 21' 30" W., where it formed a low narrow neck, beyond which it was impossible to penetrate to the eastward, in consequence of the ice being attached to the land, and extending along the horizon to the northward. The farthest tongue of land which he reached is conspicuous, as being the most northerly point yet discovered on the continent of America. It lies 126 miles to the north-east of Icy Cape, the farthest point reached by Cook; and is only 146 miles from the extreme of Franklin’s discoveries, in his progress westward from the Mackenzie River.
Commander Beechey now proceeded to examine narrowly the shores of Kotzebue Sound, and the head of Escholtz Bay, where he discovered a large river coming from the southward, to which he gave the name of Buckland, in compliment to the professor of geology at Oxford. In the mean time, Mr. Alexander Collie, surgeon, examined the cliffs in which a singular ice formation had been seen by Kotzebue, and found several bones and grinders of elephants and other animals in a fossil state. On the 25th of September, the wind changed from north to south, and had such an effect upon the tide that it ebbed twenty hours without intermission. Previous to this, the aurora borealis had been twice seen; and Commander Beechey noticed a parhelion so bright that it was difficult to distinguish it from the sun. On the 8th of October, the Blossom lost another man by disease; and on the 14th, she was obliged to shape a course for Behring’s Strait, the edges of the sound having already begun to freeze; besides which, other symptoms of approaching winter were too apparent to be disregarded. She subsequently visited the coast of California, and proceeded from thence across the Pacific, to the Sandwich Islands and Macao; searching, unsuccessfully, on her way to Honoruru, for all the islands that were marked near her route, rounding-to every night when near the position of any one, in order that it might not be passed unobserved; and making sail on a parallel of latitude during the day. On the 30th of April, 1827, we find her sailing from Macao, to explore the sea to the eastward of Loo-Choo.
After visiting this island, of which he has given a long and very interesting description. Captain Beechey re-discovered and surveyed the Ylas del Arzobispo; an extensive group, which had long been expunged from the charts. On the 2d of July, he again made the snowy mountains of Kamschatka; and, by the 18th, had completed a survey of the capacious bay of Awatska, and the harbours of Tareinski, Rakovya, and Petropaulski. On the 26th, he approached within a short distance of the Asiatic coast, in lat. 61° 58' N.; and on the 21st of the following month, he was once more close to compact ice, pressing upon the American shore, in the parallel of 70° 47'. Ten days afterwards, the Blossom sailed through an opening previously discovered by Mr. Elson, to the south-eastward of Cape Prince of Wales, and entered a spacious haven, capable of holding many ships of the line; connected with which, by a deep but narrow channel, was found an inner harbour ten miles long by two and a quarter wide.
These two ports, situated so near Behring’s Strait, may at some future time be of great importance to navigation, as they will be found particularly useful by vessels which may not wish to pass Cape Prince of Wales in bad weather. To the outer harbour, which for convenience and security surpasses any other near this celebrated promontory, Captain Beechey gave the name of Port Clarence, in honor of our present most gracious monarch, then Lord High Admiral, and by whom he had recently been promoted. The inner haven, which is well adapted to the purposes of repair, and sufficiently deep to receive a frigate, he named Grantley Harbour, in compliment to his brother-in-law, the present Lord Grantley.
On her return from Port Clarence to Chamisso Island, the Blossom experienced very bad weather, lost one of her best seamen overboard, and narrowly escaped being wrecked upon a sand near Hotham Inlet. In the mean time, her decked boat, then under the command of Lieutenant Belcher, had proceeded along the coast to the north-eastward of Icy Cape, until stopped by the ice in 70° 41', when she returned to Kotzebue Sound, and there foundered, with three of her crew, in a gale which suddenly arose while that officer and Mr. James Wolfe, admiralty-mate, were employed in erecting an observatory upon a peninsula near the anchorage. On the 29th of September, a party of Esquimaux, from Escholtz Bay, made an attack upon some men employed in watering at Chamisso Island, and wounded with their arrows two sailors and four marines. Speaking of this occurrence Captain Beechey says:
“Until this time, they were ignorant of the effect of fire-arms, and no doubt placed much confidence in the thickness of their clothing; but seeing that furs availed nothing against a ball, they fled with precipitation to the hills. * * * We were sorry to find our musketry had inflicted so severe a chastisement; but it was unavoidable, and richly deserved. It was some consolation to reflect, that it had fallen upon a party from whom we had received repeated insult, and that it was not until after they had threatened our boat in Escholtz Bay, insulted us alongside of the ship, defied our party on shore, had twice drawn their knives upon our people, and had wounded several of them, that they were made acquainted with the nature of our arms; and I am convinced the example will have a good effect, by teaching them that it was forbearance alone that induced us to tolerate their conduct so long.”
On the 4th of October, the earth was deeply covered with snow, and the lakes in the neighbourhood of Chamisso Island were all frozen. Next day, at noon, the thermometer was as low as 24°.
“We had received no intelligence of Captain Franklin’s party, nor was it very probable that it would now appear; and we could only hope, as the time had arrived when it would be imperative on us to withdraw from him the only relief he could experience in these seas, that he had met with insurmountable obstacles to his advance, and had retraced his route up the Mackenzie River. Anxious, however, to remain to the last, I again solicited the opinions of the officers as to the state of the season; and finding them unanimous in believing that the ship could not remain longer in Kotzebue Sound with safety, I determined to quit the anchorage the moment the wind would permit.”
It will be seen on reference to p. 67, that Captain Franklin was then safe in England. On the following day, the Blossom worked out of Kotzebue Sound; and on the 14th, took her final departure from the Kamschatkan seas:– the Aleutian Islands were then covered about two-thirds of the way down with snow, and indicated an earlier winter than they had done the year before. She afterwards re-visited Monterey and St. Francisco, in California; examined the Tres Marias and Isabella Islands; surveyed the coast of Mexico from Mazatlan to several miles south of San Blas; determined the position of Cape Corrientes, a remarkable promontory 12,003 feet in height; touched at Acapulco; and proceeded from thence to Valparaiso, where she arrived on the 29th of April 1828.
Here Captain Beechey found orders to convey to Europe the remittances of specie from the different ports in the Pacific; the last of which money, amounting in the whole to upwards of 1,500,000 dollars, was embarked at Coquimbo on the 3d of June. In September following, he arrived at Spithead, after a passage of forty-nine days from Rio Janeiro, bringing home with him the Right Hon. Robert Gordon, late H.M. ambassador to the court of Brazil, and several other passengers. The Blossom was paid off, at Woolwich, on the 12th of the ensuing month.
Captain Beechey married, in Dec. 1828, Charlotte, youngest daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel John Stapleton, of Thorpe Lee, and sister to the lady of the Bishop of Oxford.
Agents.– Messrs. Evans and Eyton.
- ↑ Original: suveyor was amended to surveyor