'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎71] (90/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY. 71
visited the peninsula of Sinai, and, in company with Lieutenant
Carless, traversed the desert between Cosseir and Thebes. He
did much, by his 44 Travels in Arabia," to familiarise the British
public with the shores of the Red Sea, particularly with the
proceedings of the survey in the Gulfs of Suez and Akaba, and
Lieutenant Carless also furnished a memoir on the latter gulf,
u drawn up," as he says, 44 from notes taken during the survey
by Commander Moresby in 1833."^
The survey of the Red Sea, which had occupied Commander
Moresby four years and seven months, and Captain El won a
considerable portion of that time, was at length completed in
the month of April, 1834. The charts were compiled at Bombay,
the reducing of the southern half being performed by Acting-
Lieutenant C. D. Campbell, of the 4 Benares,' and of the northern
half by Acting-Lieutenant Felix Jones, of the 4 Palinurus.'
On completing their respective tasks these officers re-ex
amined the work, which w T as then sent to be copied at the office
of the draughtsman, Commander Houghton, and, after final
examination by him and Lieutenant Carless, was sent home
for engraving. It was received by the Court of Directors The London-based directors of the East India Company who dealt with the daily conduct of the Company's affairs.
with great satisfaction, and the magnificent chart (in two sheets)
was exhibited for its excellence, at the recent Loan Collection
of Scientific Instruments at South Kensington. Besides the
geographical papers written by Wellsted and Carless, Captain
Elwon kept a very complete journal during the progress of the
survey, containing a great mass of nautical, meteorological,
statistical, and topographical information, which was deposited
with the Bombay Geographical Society, and has supplied its
volumes with valuable materials.
But the survey was not completed without the sacrifice of
valuable lives. Lieutenant Pinching, a highly gifted officer, who
had been formerly engaged in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. survey, fell a
victim to his zeal in the cause of science, and Lieutenant J. R.
Wellsted, describing in Vol. II. of his 44 City of the Caliphs,"
a journey made, in March, 1834, from Aden to Lahadj,
mentions having 'come across the gravef of this young officer.
He says:— 44 1 turned aside from the caravan to visit the grave of
a brother officer, who had a few weeks before been buried here; a
heap of stones, to protect the corpse from wild beasts, was the
only token to mark the spot where our gallant companion was
laid. Lieutenant Pinching, of the 4 Benares,' fell a victim in
the prime of life, deservedly regretted, to his zeal for the
furtherance of the objects of the Expedition." Besides Lieu
tenant Pinching and a large number of men, who died from
# See " Memoir on the Grulf of Akaba and the Head of the Red Sea," vol. i.
<c Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society." In 1848 Captain Barker,
I.N., made a re-snrvey of the Grulf of Suez.
f A neat tomb has been erected over the remains of this officer in the cemetery
of Aden Back Bay.
f