'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎70] (89/622)

70
HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
and ' Palinurus/ who took part in the survey of the Red Sea, which
extended over a period of between four and five years, but they
did not all serve throughout that time, as sickness and death
necessitated reliefs, which were effected on the return of the ships,
during the monsoon, to Bombay. 4 Benares':—Captain Thomas
Elwon, Lieutenants H. N. Pinching, (Assistant Surveyor),
F. D. W. Winn; Midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. # F. T. Powell, J. A. Young,
C. D. Campbell, J. G. Johnston, R. Riddell, W. Christopher,
W. C. Barker, and A. Macdonald. 4 Palinurus':—Commander
Robert Moresby ; Lieutenants Thomas Bales Rogers, (Assistant
Surveyor) T. Gr. Carless, J. R. Wellsted, (who relieved Lieu
tenant Rogers after the first year), and J. P. Sanders (acting as
master); Midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. R. Harrison, R. Walker, J. Sheppard,
J. W. Young, Felix Jones, and, at a later date, J. S. Grieve,
C. J. Cruttenden, J. Rennie, and A. Ford.
The 'Palinurus' first sailed for the Red Sea on the 11th of
September, 1829, and the 4 Benares' on the 11th of October
following.f Besides executing the portion originally allotted
to him. Commander Moresby had to complete the southern half
in consequence of Captain Elwon being called away, early in
1833, to take up a command as commodore of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
where he died at Bassadore from the effects of climate in June,
1835.
Lieutenant Wellsted,J during the progress of the survey,
# Midshipmen An experienced sailor, but not a commissioned officer. , Powell, Young, and Campbell, served as Acting-Lieutenants
during a portion of the survey.
f Markham says of this survey :—"No expense was spared in fitting out the
expedition, and all the surveying appliances of the day were provided, besides
ample supplies of well found boats and tenders. The latter were native craft
with Arab crews. The sea was then practically unknown, and great dangers and
privations were inseparable from such a service. The first base was measured by
a chain at ^ Suez by Captain Moresby in 1830, and the survey was steadily
continued without other interruptions than was necessary to refit the ships and
crews, to its completion, in 1834, by a system of triangulation down either shore.
The work was verified by frequent bases, by almost daily azimuths, by latitudes,
by the sun and stars observed on shore with artificial horizons, and by chrono-
metric differences. The original charts were drawn on a scale of an inch to a
mile; but in places where the complicated nature of the channels required
greater nicety, scales as high as ten inches were employed. The original drawings
were mostly by T elix J ones. The noble resolution of all the officers was, that
the Red Sea Survey should be as perfect as labour and skill could make it, and it
has served well to guide thousand of steamers up and dow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. 7 n one of the most
important and at the same time one of the most intricate routes in the world."
The charts were as follow :—Northern part of the Red Sea, Commander Moresby
and Lieutenant Carless, 1833 (two sheets) ; southern part of the Red Sea, Captain
Elwon, Lieutenant Pinching, and Commander Moresby, 1834 (two sheets);
harbours in the north part of the Red Sea, Commander Moresby, &c., 1833 ;
harbours m the south part of the Red Sea, Captain Elwon, Commander Haines
and Lieutenant Pinching, 1837. Also sailing directions for Red Sea, Captain
Elwon and Commander Moresby, 1841.
X Lieutenant Wellsted contributed to the pages of the Journal of the Royal
Geographical SocietyNotes on Bruce's Charts of the Coast of the Red Sea,
compared with the positions of the recent Surveys," vol. v. p. 286; " Observa
tions on the Coast of Arabia between Ras Mohammed and Jiddah," vol. vi.
p. 51.