Narrative of a Voyage Round the World: Instructions to Captain Beechey, subsequently to Commander E. Belcher

Book excerpt: Captain Edward Belcher (1799-1877) served on, or was in command of, numerous surveys of the coasts of Northern and Western Africa, Ireland, Western America, China, Borneo, the Phillipines, and Formosa. In 1852, he commanded the expedition in search of Sir John Franklin. Belcher's account of his circumnavigation commences in February, 1837, in Panama, when he took command of the Royal Navy Ship Sulphur and, together with the RNS Starling, sailed northward to Central America, thence to the Sandwich Islands [Hawaii]. They then sailed back to North America, exploring the Vancouver Island area, then to San Francisco, and south down the coasts of California, and Central America, back to Panama. In 1838, Belcher headed back north, largely repeating the previous cruise, with more stops. Belcher then set sail across the Pacific, visiting Tahiti, Tonga, the New Hebrides, and today's Indonesia. He was then ordered to China, and took part in the naval operations there. Returned to England, via Singapore, Sumatra, Ceylon, Madagascar. Cape of Good Hope, St. Helena and Ascension -- ABE Books.