INSTRUCTIONS, 269 



at Cape Hearne, a cache of pemmican will be placed lor Sir John 

 Richardson. 



They should communicate immediately with him, according to the 

 agreement which he and you have made, and, placing themselves under 

 his orders, they will assist him in examining the shores of Victoria and 

 Wollaston's Island, and finally return with him to England, by whatever 

 route he may deem advisable. Unable to foresee the variety of circum- 

 stances in which you may be placed, or the difficulties with which you may 

 have to contend, and fully relying on the skilfulness of your measures, 

 as well as by the zeal with which you and those under your command 

 will be animated, we direct you to consider the foregoing orders as the 

 general outline only of our desires, and not as intended too rigidly to 

 control your proceedings, especially whenever, after due deliberation., 

 you have become satisfied that the end we have in view may be more 

 certainly accomplished by the substitution of some other course of ope- 

 rations ; and if Providence should not be pleased to crown your efforts 

 with success, we leave it to your own judgment when and from whence 

 to return to England, as soon as you are convinced that every means 

 within your reach have been exhausted. 



In case of any irreparable accident happening to the ' Enterprise,' 

 you are hereby authorized to take the command of the ' Investigator,' 

 and to make such arrangements for the officers and crews as may be 

 most consonant to the rules of the service, and most conducive to the 

 objects of the Expedition. 



If you should happily succeed in meeting with the ' Erebus ' afloat, 

 and Sir John Franklin's pendant be flying, you will of course place 

 yourself under his orders ; but if you should find that ship blocked up 

 with ice, or otherwise incapable of proceeding, you are hereby author- 

 ized and directed to retain the command of the Expedition, and adopt 

 all such measures as may be requisite for the safe removal of her crew, 

 or that of the ' Terror.' 



In the event of Great Britain being involved in hostilities with any 

 foreign power during your absence, you are to abstain from the smallest 

 act of aggression towards any vessel belonging to such nation, it being 

 the practice of all civilized countries to consider vessels engaged on 

 service of this kind as exempt from the rules and operations of war. 

 Both vessels under your orders have been furnished with abundance of 

 stores, and with more than a sufficiency of everything that can in any 

 wise contribute to the welfare of their crews ; and we especially direct 

 you to consider their safety, health, and comfort as predominant in 



