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280 but, as immediately as possible, return to a milder climate. As some opportunity might occur of his returning to England during the absence of the ships from Port Louis, it was considered desirable that he should not accompany us to Cape Horn. In his place Mr Sibbald was appointed senior lieutenant of the Terror; Mr. Oakeley, the senior mate, to act as lieutenant in the vacancy: and by the removal of Lieutenant Sibbald, Mr. Wood became senior lieutenant of the Erebus.

The magnetic observatory was placed in the charge of Lieutenant Sibbald, with a sufficient number of assistants to carry on a system of observations during our absence, upon such a plan as to secure a satisfactory record of the magnetic phenomena at the two places, distant from each other about 400 miles.

These, and all other arrangements, being completed, we sailed, on the morning of the 8th of September, with a fresh breeze from the westward, and by noon were abreast of Bird Island, where we met a heavy swell from the eastward, the effect of the late storms from that quarter.

The wind veered to the south-west as we approached the entrance of the sound, and freshened in heavy squalls as we crossed the opening of Port William. The harbour appears contracted from this point of view, but there is sufficient space for as many vessels as are ever likely at any one time to anchor there.

After passing close to the Seal Rocks and