SUMMARY OF THE VOYAGE.
I n the beginning of the year 1839, the British Government having determined on fitting
out an Expedition, for the purpose of investigating the phsenomena o f Terrestrial
Magnetism in various remote countries, and for prosecuting Maritime Geographical
Discovery in the high southern latitudes, H.M. Ships Erebus and Terror, commissioned
by Captain Sir James Clark Ross, sailed from Chatham on the 29th of September
1839. In addition to carrjung out the above-mentioned leading views, it was
enjoined to the officers, that they should use every exertion to collect the various objects
of Natural History which the many heretofore unexplored countries about to be visited
would afford.
On the outward voyage we touched at most of the Atlantic Islands, making a
longer stay at some of them than is usual, on account of the nature of the observations
that were instituted. At Madeira, which was the first visited, we called in the middle
of October, and remained eleven days ; and then made Teneriffe and the Cape de Verds,
whence we sailed for and landed upon St. Paul’s Rocks*, under the Line, in long.
29° W. St. Helena was the next destination, and the course which it was found necessary
to follow took us to the Island of Trinidad off the Brazilian coast, lat. 20° S.
After spending a week at St. Helena, the vessels sailed for the Cape of Good Hope,
arriving there on the 4th of April 1840. The Cape may be regarded as the starting-
* For ,m admirable description of these remarkable rocks, distant 350 miles from the nearest land (the
Island of Fernando Noronha), see Mr. Danvin’s Journal, p. 8.