The next morning, the 9th, Captain Wickham started in the yawl for Hanover Bay, in order to prosecute the search at the point where he knew Lieutenant Grey’s depot was to be established, and on rounding the headland the first welcome object that met his eye was the schooner at anchor.  Captain Wickham learnt from Mr. Browse the master, that the period for which the schooner was chartered having expired, he was only waiting the return of the expedition from motives of humanity.  The further care of Lieutenant Grey and his comrades was at once undertaken by Captain Wickham, by whom it was determined, owing to the shortness of provisions on board the Beagle, to proceed to Timor on the return of the boats, in the hope of being able to revictual there, leaving some conspicuous record of his recent visit, with hidden letters declaratory of his proceedings, and promising his speedy return.  A party was immediately despatched on shore, and upon the face of the sandstone cliff they painted in characters of gigantic proportion, Beagle Observatory.  Letters South-East 52 paces.  Of necessity compelled to wait for the boats, Captain Wickham returned to the Beagle.

CAPTAIN WICKHAM’S MEETING WITH LIEUTENANT GREY.

On the morning of the 15th, Lieutenant Grey, accompanied by two of his party, made his appearance upon the shores of Hanover Bay, after a twelve weeks wander in the interior; during which, great hardships, fatigue, and peril had been undergone, and much curious and valuable information collected.  Hearing of the proximity of the Beagle, he lost not a moment, but hastened to assure Captain Wickham that the whole party was safe, and spent the evening of the 15th—­that previous to my return—­among those who sympathized with his sufferings, and heartily welcomed him once more on board.  After the first greetings had been exchanged between us, Lieutenant Grey professed the utmost anxiety to hear whether, during our late excursion in the boats, we had discovered the mouth of the Glenelg, the river first seen by him on the 2nd of March.  I was of course compelled to inform him that we had found no trace of any river, although the coast from Port George the Fourth to the bottom of Collier Bay, an extent of nearly one hundred miles, had been examined, and with the exception I have already noticed, too closely to admit of mistake.

AN EVENING WITH LIEUTENANT GREY.

The next afternoon I followed Lieutenant Grey round to Hanover Bay, distant twelve miles from the Beagle’s anchorage.  On the passage I noticed that the remarkable bluff, spoken of by Captain King, had been omitted in the charts, and a low rocky point marked in its place.  It was after sunset when we reached the schooner in Hanover Bay; the greater part of the night was devoted to an examination of Lieutenant Grey’s plans of his expedition, and the drawings with which various events in it had been illustrated.  All these were executed with a finished carefulness one