Page:Autobiography of Rear Admiral Charles Wilkes.djvu/23

 {| |width="15%" valign="top" |June 14 |width="85%"|Relieved by Lt. John Gillis as head of Depot of Charts and Instruments, and ordered to command of Porpoise at Norfolk for survey duty of shoals of Georges Bank; October 20 reported survey completed. |- | valign="top" |October 24 |Ordered to stand by to survey at Beaufort and Wilmington, North Carolina, and May River, South Carolina. |- |1838 | |- | valign="top" |March 20 |Received orders from Secretary of War J. R. Poinsett to command South Seas Surveying and Exploring Expedition; appointment approved by President Van Buren April 20. |- | valign="top" |July 7 |Took command of Vincennes at Norfolk. |- | valign="top" |July 19 |Daughter, Eliza Wilkes, born. |- | valign="top" |August 11 |Final orders for Exploring Expedition issued by Secretary of the Navy James Paulding. |- | valign="top" |August 18 |Ships of Exploring Expedition—Vincennes, Peacock, Porpoise, Sea Gull, Flying Fish, and Relief—sailed from Norfolk. |- | valign="top" |November 24 |Arrived at Rio de Janeiro. |- |1839 | |- | valign="top" |February 25 |Departed Tierra del Fuego on board Porpoise for first cruise into Antarctic area; returned to Tierra del Fuego March 19. |- | valign="top" |May 1 |Sea Gull lost at sea. |- | valign="top" |November 29 |Arrived at Sydney, Australia. |- | valign="top" |December 26 |Began second cruise to Antarctic area. |- |1840 | |- | valign="top" |January 19 |Land of Antarctic Continent sighted from Vincennes. |- | valign="top" |May 6 |Began survey of Fiji. |- | valign="top" |July 24 |Lt. Joseph Underwood and Midshipman Wilkes Henry killed at Malolo; reprisal attack was made on Malolo two days later. |- | valign="top" |August 11 |Departed Fiji. |- | valign="top" |September 24 |Arrived at Hawaiian Islands. |- | valign="top" |December 14 |Scientific study of Mauna Loa and Kilauea Crater began. |- |1841 | |- | valign="top" |April 5 |Departed Hawaiian Islands. |- | valign="top" |April 30 |Survey of Puget Sound commenced. |- | valign="top" |July 19 |Peacock grounded and abandoned in mouth of Columbia River. |- | valign="top" |August 14 |Arrived at San Francisco Bay area; on November 1 departed for western Pacific. |} Rh