an excellent naturalist, and well known as an arctic explorer.  He seems to have recognised the peculiar ability of his young assistant, and although he was a silent, reserved man, who seldom encouraged his assistants by talking to them, he made several attempts to obtain a suitable post for Huxley.  Such a post was that of surgeon to H.M.S. Rattlesnake, then about to start under the command of Captain Owen Stanley for surveying work in the Torres Straits.  Captain Stanley had expressed a wish for a surgeon who knew something of science, and, on the recommendation of Sir John Richardson, obtained the post for Huxley.  There was, however, to be a special naturalist attached to the expedition, but Huxley had the opportunity he wanted.  After a brief stay of seven months at the Haslar Hospital he left it for his ship, and thus definitely entered on his work in the world.

FOOTNOTES: 

[Footnote A:  This and many other details in this chapter are taken from an autobiographical sketch in the first volume of Huxley’s collected essays published by Macmillan, London, 1894.]

CHAPTER II

THE VOYAGE OF THE “RATTLESNAKE”

     The Objects of the Voyage—­The Route—­The Naturalist and the
     Surgeon—­Collecting and Dredging—­Stay in Sydney—­Adventures with
     the Natives—­Comparison with Darwin’s Voyage on the Beagle.

Her Majesty’s ship the Rattlesnake, one of the old class of 28-gun ships, sailed from Plymouth for the Torres Straits and the Australian seas on December 12, 1846.  Her commander was Captain Owen Stanley, a young but distinguished officer, the son of the Bishop of Norwich and a brother of Dean Stanley, who afterwards played so great a part in the social and religious history of England.  She carried a complement of 180 officers and men, and was attended by the Bramble and the Castlereagh, two small vessels of light draught, whose purpose was to precede her in shallow waters.  The young colonies of Australia were developing commerce with the mother country, and the business of the Rattlesnake was to survey the waters round about the Torres Straits, that the passage towards India on the homeward trip might be made safer.  Incidentally the vessel was to land a treasure of L50,000 at the Cape of Good Hope, and another of L15,000 at the Mauritius.  The Admiralty Commissioners left full powers to Captain Stanley to carry out the details of his mission according to his own judgment, but he was solemnly warned upon two points.  Many very unfortunate casualties had occurred when sailors came in contact with the little-known savages of the southern seas, and the Admiralty instructed him as follows: