INSTRUCTIONS. 283 



journals, or other documents to be thereafter disposed of as we may 

 think proper to determine. 



23. In the event of England becoming involved in hostilities with 

 any other power during your absence, you are nevertheless clearly to 

 understand that you are not on any account to commit any hostile act 

 whatsoever, the Expedition under your orders being only intended for 

 the purpose of discovery and science, and it being the practice of all 

 civilized nations to consider vessels so employed as excluded from the 

 operations of war ; and, confiding in this feeling, we should trust that 

 you would receive every assistance from the ships or subjects of any 

 foreign power which you may fall in with ; but special application to 

 that effect has been made to the respective governments. 



Given under our hands this 5th day of May, 1845, 



(Signed) HADDINGTON, 



G. COCKBURN, 

 W. H. GAGE. 



To SIR JOHN FRANKLIN, K.C.H., 

 Captain of Her Majesty's Ship Erebus, 

 at Woolwich. 



By Command of their Lordships, 



(Signed) W. A. B. HAMILTON. 



