l ' 1 I —
friend, and lamenting, with many others, the severe loss which
science suffered in his death. He was a fellow of the Royal,
and Astronomical Societies, and to the former had contributed,
to use the words of His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex,
as President of the Royal Society, a most valuable and extensive
series of observations upon the diurnal variation, diurnal
intensity, and dip of the magnetic needle; and upon other
subjects connected with the terrestrial magnetism and astronomical
refraction, which formed an entire fourth part of the
Philosophical Transactions for the year 1826. For these papers
he received the Copley medal; and the Lords of the Admiralty
acknowledged their sense of the honour which was thus conferred
upon the profession to which he belonged, by immediately
raising him to the rank of Commander, and by appointing him
to the command of the Chanticleer, upon a voyage of discovery
and observation in the South Seas. The address of the President
of the Royal Astronomical Society, at the anniversary
meeting,* also bears ample testimony to his active and useful
services in the expedition, under Captain Parry, towards the
North Pole ; as well as to his ardent zeal, very great attention,
and accuracy, in every thing which he undertook for the promotion
of science ; and concludes the notice of his death in the
following words: “ In the premature death of this young and
accomplished officer, the Society has to deplore the loss of a
zealous and active votary to science; and his memory will be
long held dear by those who were more intimately acquainted
with him in the relations of private life.” Captain Foster was
unfortunately drowned, near the close of his voyage, while
descending the River Chagres in a canoe.
No sooner had we cleared the land, than we found a strong
westerly wind, and a heavy sea ; so that if we had entertained
any expectation of making a quiet passage to the westward, we
should have been disappointed.
The land of Hermite Island, and its vicinity, has a most
remarkable appearance when seen from the south. Its outline
is a series of peaks, following each other in regular succession,
* Ann. Meeting:, ilOth Nor. 1832.
and resembling the worn teeth of an old saw. Mount Hyde is
made sufficiently distinct by its rounded apex, and by being
higher than any land near it. Kater’s Peak also is remarkable
in this view, from its conical form and very pointed summit,
and from being situated at the eastern end of the island. The
‘ Horn ’ itself needs no description ; it cannot easily be mistaken.*
Westerly winds carried us as far as 60° south latitude before
we could make any westing, and then we had a slant from the
eastward, followed by variable winds. Our run to Valparaiso
was much like all other voyages in this chmate ; we had the
usual quantity of foul and fair winds, with a share of tempestuous
weather, and arrived at Valparaiso Bay on the 22d of
June. While remaining here our chronometers were cleaned,
and some of them repaired ; and the ship was refitted and provisioned,
with a full supply for the Beagle and Adelaide as well
as herself.
A t the latter end of July, Lieutenant Wickham accompanied
me to Santiago, the capital of Chile, ninety miles from the port,
for the purpose of waiting upon General Pinto, the Director;
and communicating to him the purpose of our voyage, to prevent
exciting suspicion, or receiving any interruption on the
part of the authorities of places we might visit, particularly
Childe, where our stay might be viewed with distrust or apprehension
; for rumour had already said that the Fnglish were
about to take that island. Ridiculous as such a report was, I
deemed it sufficiently important to induce me to explain to the
Chilian Government our views and orders, which could be done
better by personal explanation than by a correspondence.
We commenced our journey early on the 11th of July,
travelling in a covered chaise, drawn by three horses, one in
* Th e Survey of this p a rt now presents the navigator with the means
o f ascertaining his position, to a nicety, by angles taken w ith a sextant
between Cape Horn summit and Jerdan’s P e ak , or Mount Hyde, and
K a te r’s P e a k ; and if Jerdan’s P e ak and Mount Hyde he brought in a
line, and an angle taken between them and Cape Horn summit, the operation
will be still more simple.