Page:Autobiography of Rear Admiral Charles Wilkes.djvu/23

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June 14 Relieved by Lt. John Gillis as head of Depot of Charts and Instruments, and ordered to command of Porpoise at Norfolk for survey duty of shoals of Georges Bank; October 20 reported survey completed.
October 24 Ordered to stand by to survey at Beaufort and Wilmington, North Carolina, and May River, South Carolina.
1838
March 20 Received orders from Secretary of War J. R. Poinsett to command South Seas Surveying and Exploring Expedition; appointment approved by President Van Buren April 20.
July 7 Took command of Vincennes at Norfolk.
July 19 Daughter, Eliza Wilkes, born.
August 11 Final orders for Exploring Expedition issued by Secretary of the Navy James Paulding.
August 18 Ships of Exploring Expedition—Vincennes, Peacock, Porpoise, Sea Gull, Flying Fish, and Relief—sailed from Norfolk.
November 24 Arrived at Rio de Janeiro.
1839
February 25 Departed Tierra del Fuego on board Porpoise for first cruise into Antarctic area; returned to Tierra del Fuego March 19.
May 1 Sea Gull lost at sea.
November 29 Arrived at Sydney, Australia.
December 26 Began second cruise to Antarctic area.
1840
January 19 Land of Antarctic Continent sighted from Vincennes.
May 6 Began survey of Fiji.
July 24 Lt. Joseph Underwood and Midshipman Wilkes Henry killed at Malolo; reprisal attack was made on Malolo two days later.
August 11 Departed Fiji.
September 24 Arrived at Hawaiian Islands.
December 14 Scientific study of Mauna Loa and Kilauea Crater began.
1841
April 5 Departed Hawaiian Islands.
April 30 Survey of Puget Sound commenced.
July 19 Peacock grounded and abandoned in mouth of Columbia River.
August 14 Arrived at San Francisco Bay area; on November 1 departed for western Pacific.
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