stone have been deposited in one week, and to supply this vast demand, monster blasts of five or six tons of gunpowder were frequently employed. These two great works are advancing very satisfactorily; and it is worthy of remark, that although the severe storms which have repeatedly occurred on the exposed coasts where they are situated, have done some injury to portions of the stages, and of the temporary works, at Holyhead-where the piles were not shod with Mitchell's screws, which proved so successful at Portland-not a stone would appear to have been carried away from the jetties; and the success of the system may be said to be complete, in spite of the sinister predictions which prevailed before it was tried.

Among the other works upon which Mr. Rendel was engaged, should also be mentioned the constructions on the River Lea, and the improvements of the Nene river; the latter an undertaking of considerable difficulty, and not yet completed. He was also employed by the Exchequer Loan Commissioners to report upon the drainage and other public works in Ireland.

He was less engaged in railways than in hydraulic works, but in England he executed the Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction Line, and in India he had the direction of the "East Indian" and the "Madras Railways," the former projected by Mr. (now Sir Rowland) Macdonald Stevenson, as the first of the vast system now in progress which will doubtless exert a mighty influence on the future destiny of the Indian Empire. The Ceylon and the Pernambuco lines were also under his charge.

It would unduly extend this sketch to notice in particular the various hydraulic works upon which Mr. Rendel was engaged, as there was scarcely a harbour or river of importance in the kingdom with which he was not connected in some capacity. His advice was also sought by foreign countries; and he was engaged to report upon works for the Brazilian, the Prussian and the Sardinian governments, and was nominated by the Viceroy of Egypt a Member of the International Commission for considering the construction of the Canal across the Isthmus of Suez.

He was a man of great energy, clear perception, and correct judgment; his practical knowledge was well directed, and he knew how to make good use of the scientific acquirements and skill of all whose services he engaged. His evidence before Parliamentary Committees

was lucid and convincing,-seldom failing in carrying his point; and his Reports on Engineering works are distinguished by the clearness and correctness of his views and the fearless expression of his opinion, and are so well conceived and drawn up, that it may be hoped they will be given to the world. With these qualities, which were fully appreciated, it need scarcely be added that he rose rapidly to a very high position in his profession. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1843, and was elected upon the Council; he was a very early Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, having joined it in 1824. He had been for the last sixteen years upon the Council, and held the post of President during the years 1852 and 1853.

Mr. Rendel was as amiable and kind in private life as he was energetic and firm in public, and his decease, which occurred on the 21st of November, 1856, cast a gloom over the whole of the profession of which he was a brilliant ornament.

Rear-Admiral FREDERICK WILLIAM

BEECHEY, V.P.R.S.,

P.R.G.S., was the second son of the eminent painter Sir William Beechey, R.A. He was born on the 17th of February, 1796, and his godfather was H.R.H. the Duke of Clarence, afterwards William the Fourth.

When only ten years of age, he was sent to sea on board the 'Hibernia,' under the immediate patronage of Lord St. Vincent; and it may be justly presumed that the well-known sentiments and practice of that stern disciplinarian had no small influence in forming the young seaman's professional character, and especially in inspiring that unremitting activity and devotion to duty for which in afterlife he was conspicuous.

After a short time passed on board the Minotaur,' young Beechey went with the gallant Sir Sidney Smith, in the 'Foudroyant,' to Brazil. In 1811 he served on board the 'Astræa,' frigate, Captain Schomberg, and as an ardent youth of fifteen, and captain's aid-decamp, shared in those long and gallant actions off Madagascar, in which his ship bore a part, and which ended in the capture of two French frigates, and the surrender to the British of the Fort and Settlement of Tamatave. After this he remained a short time on the home station, and in 1815 was on board the 'Vengeur' in the

Expedition against New Orleans, and took part in the operations on the Mississippi in support of the general attack on the American lines. While on board the 'Tonnant' he received his commission as Lieutenant, dated 10th of March, 1815, and in the following year was appointed to the Niger,' frigate, on the North-American station.

In January 1818, when he had been nearly twelve years in active service, Lieutenant Beechey commenced his career as an Arctic voyager, under his friend the late Sir John Franklin, in the 'Trent,' which vessel was associated with the 'Dorothea,' Captain Buchan, in an attempt to discover a northern communication between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In this Expedition many important scientific observations were made, and much useful information was gained respecting the coast of Spitzbergen and the sea adjacent; and it is worthy of note, that, with the exception perhaps of some early voyages by the Dutch, this, and the contemporaneous voyage of Captain Ross to Baffin's Bay, were the first in which very deep soundings were obtained; mud and stone being brought up from the bottom at a depth of more than a thousand fathoms, by means of the contrivance called "deep-sea clamms." A narrative of this

Expedition was published by Lieut. Beechey in 1843, and has often been favourably noticed by foreign as well as English journals. On his return from this voyage, Beechey and his late commander, Lieutenant Franklin, volunteered to attempt to reach the North Pole by a journey over the ice; and with this view they submitted to the Admiralty a plan of proceeding, which was afterwards adopted, and to a great extent carried out by Sir Edward Parry in 1827.

In January 1819 Lieutenant Beechey was appointed to the 'Hecla,' under the command of Lieutenant (afterwards Sir Edward) Parry, with whom he penetrated to the western longitude of 113° 55', within the Arctic Circle, wintered at Melville Island, and shared the Parliamentary reward of £5000.

In these Arctic expeditions the merits of Lieut. Beechey as an able and vigilant officer, a skilful astronomical observer, and an accomplished draughtsman, met with general recognition; but it was also in these memorable voyages,-through hardships and exertions, disregarded as usual at the time by a young and ardent

adventurer,-that the foundation was laid of disease, which was destined to terminate prematurely his valuable life.

In January 1821 Lieut. Beechey was appointed to the Adventure,' then commanded by Captain (now Rear-Admiral Smyth); and in November of the same year, he was detached from the ship in charge of an Expedition along the northern shores of Africa, and round the greater Syrtis towards Egypt. In this Expedition Lieut. Beechey surveyed all the coast between Tripoli and Derna, explored the country and antiquities of the Cyrenaica, and determined the sites of the five cities of the Pentapolis. In this service he was accompanied by his brother Mr. Henry Beechey, whose intimate knowledge of the language, as well as of the manners and customs of the inhabitants, acquired whilst with Messrs. Salt and Belzoni during their researches among the Pyramids, was of the greatest assistance. An account of this interesting Expedition was published in 1828.

While on this service Lieut. Beechey was promoted; and in January 1825 was appointed to command the 'Blossom' on a voyage to the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, intended to co-operate with the Polar Expeditions under Parry and Franklin. During this voyage he passed twice through Behring's Strait, and explored the northwest coast of America, 120 miles beyond the farthest point of Cook, attaining to lat. 71° N. and long. 156° W.,--a spot scarcely 150 miles from the extreme point reached by Franklin overland. The intervals between the seasons available for Arctic navigation were passed in visiting many parts of the Pacific Ocean, where he discovered and made surveys of several new islands, and contributed largely to the hydrography and general knowledge of those regions. In 1827 Commander Beechey was promoted to the rank of Captain, and in the following year returned to England with his ship, in which, notwithstanding her dull sailing, he had traversed 73,000 miles, and rendered valuable service to navigation and general science. In 1831 he published a narrative of this voyage, replete with interesting and valuable information, and evincing throughout the high qualifications of the author for the conduct of such an Expedition.

In 1835 Captain Beechey was appointed to the Sulphur,' to undertake another voyage of exploration and survey, but the inroads which engrossing pursuits and incessant mental activity had even

then made in his health, obliged him to return home from Valparaiso in 1836.

After an interval of leisure passed with his family, his ardent desire of active employment induced him, in 1837, to accept an appointment to conduct various surveys of the Irish Sea and the Western Coasts of England and Wales. Among the important results of these surveys was a series of observations on the Tides around the British Islands, which formed the subject of a paper read before the Royal Society, and published in the 'Philosophical Transactions; and the estimation of Captain Beechey's labours by the Society may be judged of by the fact, that the Council requested the Admiralty to afford him the means of continuing his inquiries.

For some years subsequently, Captain Beechey was chiefly employed in continuing these services, and in reporting to Government on harbours, stations for marine postal communication, and other public undertakings of a like description. In 1848 and 1849 he attended Her Majesty in her visits to Scotland and Ireland, in charge of the pilotage of the Royal Squadron; and in 1851 he was appointed Aide-de-camp to the Queen.

The Government having resolved to establish the Marine Department of the Board of Trade, Captain Beechey was chosen to assist in its organization, and in this important and very onerous duty, to which he was appointed in 1850, he laboured incessantly, day and night, to the great detriment of his health. In 1853 he was selected to take part in the "Meteorological Conference" held at Brussels, for the purpose of devising a great scheme of international co-operation in obtaining meteorological observations at sea, which was to be promoted and superintended on the part of England, by the Marine Department of the Board of Trade. In the following year he obtained his Flag as Rear-Admiral on the active list.

Admiral Beechey had long been Fellow of the Astronomical, Geological, and Geographical Societies, and had contributed valuable communications to these bodies. He was elected into the Royal Society in 1824, and in 1854 was nominated a Vice-President; at the time of his decease he was President of the Royal Geographical Society.

A short time before Admiral Beechey's acceptance of the Presidency of the Geographical Society, he was attacked by severe illness,