54 INTRODUCTION TO THE 





" and are properly fitted, stored, and victualled, you are to 

 " dispatch one or both of them, under the care of proper of- 

 " fleers, with a sufficient number of petty officers, men, and 

 " boats, in order to attempt the same passage; with such 

 " instructions for their rejoining you, if they should fail, or 

 " for their farther proceedings, if they should succeed in 

 the attempt, as you shall judge most proper. But, ne- 

 vertheless, if you shall find it more eligible to pursue any 

 other measures than those above pointed out in order to 

 " make a discovery of the before-mentioned passage (if any 

 " such there be), you are at liberty, and we leave it to your 

 " discretion, to pursue such measures accordingly. 



61 In case you shall be satisfied that there is no passage 

 " through to the above-mentioned bays, sufficient for the 

 ** purposes of navigation, you are, at the proper season of the 

 e * year, to repair to the port of St. Peter and St. Paul in 

 i( Kamtschatka, or wherever else you shall judge more pro- 

 " per, in order to refresh your people and pass the winter * 

 " and, in the spring of the ensuing year 1773, to proceed 

 " from thence to the northward, as far as, in your prudence, 

 u you may think properdin further search of a north-east, 

 " or north-west passage, from the Pacific Ocean into the 

 " Atlantic Ocean, or the North Sea: and if, from your own 

 " observation, or any information you may receive, there 

 Ci shall appear to be a probability of such passage, you are to 

 " proceed as above directed: and, having discovered such 

 " passage, or failed in the attempt, make the best of your 

 " way back to England, by such route as you may think 

 " best for the improvement of geography and navigation ; 

 " repairing to Spithead with both sloops, where they are 

 " to remain till further order. 



*' At whatever places you may touch in the course of your 

 <; voyage, where accurate observations of the nature here- 

 " after mentioned have not already been made, you are, 

 " as far as your time will allow, very carefully to observe 

 M the true situation of such places, both in latitude and 

 " longitude; the variation of the needle; bearings of 

 " headlands; height, direction, and course of the tides and 

 * currents ; depths and soundings of the sea; shoals, rocks, &c; 

 and also to survey, make charts, and take views of such 

 bays, harbours, and different parts of the coast, and to 

 " make such notations thereon, as may be useful either to 

 <c navigation or commerce. You are also carefully to observe 

 ft the nature of the soil, and the produce thereof; the animal* 



4C 



