10 PRELIMINARY CHAPTER. 



for their purpose, you will appoint some ultimate 

 period in the ensuing year, beyond which he is 

 not to protract his stay, but peremptorily to 

 repair with His Majesty's ship to England ; 

 in which case it would be advisable that he 

 should endeavour to communicate a statement of 

 any accident that may have occurred to Fort 

 Churchill. 



" Having satisfactorily settled these preliminary 

 but important arrangements, you will then pro- 

 ceed in the execution of the main objects of the 

 voyage. These objects are, — 



" First, To ascertain the general form and 

 position of that part of the northern coast of 

 America which extends from the point where 

 you may first strike the sea shore of Prince 

 Regent's Inlet, as far as the western mouth of 

 Fury and Hecla Strait; and if that service should 

 be accomplished with facility, or if no serious 

 obstacle should there present itself to the timely 

 return of the party, the western coast of Cock- 

 burn Island might be pursued as far as the Cape 

 Kater of Parry's first voyage, but forbidding the 

 officer of the boat whom you may detach on 

 this service, to penetrate far into any of the 

 openings by which that probable group of islands 

 may be intersected ; and on no account to risk 

 the prolongation of the fixed period for returning 

 to the ship ; not even to persevere in the attempt 



