In these occupations I remained, until the receipt of a reply from the Secretary of State, which, after speaking in terms of flattering approbation of my past exertions, notified that, for the present, Her Majesty's Ministers did not think it desirable that the researches in the north-west should be prosecuted further.
PREPARE TO RETURN TO ENGLAND.
On the receipt of this I made preparations for returning to England, but, no favourable opportunity offering from the western settlements, as soon as I was relieved from my duties as Resident, I embarked for South Australia in the hope of obtaining from thence a more speedy passage than the other colony seemed likely to afford.
After a short stay at Adelaide I finally sailed for England on the 11th April 1840, and reached this country in September following.
NATURAL HISTORY.
The leisure of the voyage afforded me the means of making some additions to my former observations on the Natural History of the seas we traversed, the chief results of which will be briefly given in this chapter, together with some casual observations which I was enabled to make on the Geology of St. Helena in consequence of the vessel touching there.
June 2 1840. At sea: south latitude 20 degrees 0 minutes; east longitude 58 degrees 47 minutes 15 seconds.
I caught a species of shrimp (Penaeus) of a delicate prussian blue colour, which was more brilliant at the extremities, and gradually paled towards the centre of the animal. There was not the slightest shade of any other colour about it, but it turned pink in some places directly it was put into spirits; it had four anterior and four posterior legs on each side.
Total length 1.45 inches.
Length of apparatus on head 0.17 inches.
Length of tail 0.25 inches.
Head and connected apparatus 0.52 inches.
Tail and body to commencement of first ring 0.48 inches.
June 13. South latitude 27 degrees 4 minutes; east longitude 47 degrees 38 minutes 15 seconds.