Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

18 OUTFIT MR. DARWIX. raised considerably,* which afterwards proved to be of the greatest advantage to her as a sea boat, besides adding so ma- terially to the comfort of all on board. While in dock, a sheath- ing of two-inch fir plank was nailed on the vessel's bottom, over which was a coating of felt, and then new copper. This sheath- ing added about fifteen tons to her displacement, and nearly seven to her actual measurement. Therefore, instead of 235 tons, she might be considered about 242 tons burthen. The rud- der was fitted according to the plan of Captain Lihou : a patent windlass supplied the place of a capstan : one of Frazer"'s stoves, with an oven attached, was taken instead of a common ' galley' fire-place ; and the lightning-conductors, invented by Mr. Harris, were fixed in all the masts, the bowsprit, and even in the flying jib-boom. The arrangements made in the fittings, both inside and outside, by the officers of the Dock-yard, left nothing to be desired. Our ropes, sails, and spars, were the best that could be procured ; and to complete our excellent outfit, six superior boats-j- (two of them private property) were built expressly for us, and so contrived and stowed that they could all be carried in any weather. Considering the limited disposable space in so very .small a ship, we contrived to carry more instruments and books than one would readily suppose could be stowed away in dry and secure places; and in a part of my own cabin twenty-two chronometers were carefully placed. Anxious that no opportunity of collecting useful informa- tion, during the voyage, should be lost ; I proposed to the Hydrographer that some well-educated and scientific person should be sought for who would willingly share such accom- modations as I had to offer, in order to profit by the oppor- tunity of visiting distant countries yet little known. Captain Beaufort approved of the suggestion, and wrote to Professor Peacock, of Cambridge, who consulted with a friend, Pro- fessor Henslow, and he named Mr. Charles Darwin, grandson of Dr. Darwin the poet, as a young man of promising ability, • Eight inches abaft and twelve forward. + Besides a dinghy carried astern.