XV111 INTRODUCTION. 



" During the time the Blossom remains in Kot- 

 zebue Sound, a party will be directed to proceed 

 inland on a north course, if practicable, in order 

 that should the coast of the Polar Sea be within rea- 

 sonable distance, signals may be erected upon the 

 heights for Captain Franklin, whose party may by 

 this means be spared a long journey round the 

 N. W. promontory of America. At this and every 

 other station where information is deposited of Cap- 

 tain Beechey, it is advisable that a request in the 

 Russian language be also placed, that this informa- 

 tion be not taken away, or the signals disturbed. 



" Since the transmission of the above, Captain 

 Franklin has received his instructions from Earl 

 Bathurst, the contents of which have been made 

 known to Captain Beechey, and the only addition 

 which we think necessary to make is, that in the 

 event of Captain Franklin arriving at an early pe- 

 riod at Icy Cape, or at the N. W. extremity of Ame- 

 rica, or in the longitude of Icy Cape (161° 42' W.) 

 and returning the same season to his former winter 

 quarters, he will, in the above-mentioned meridian, 

 erect a signal, and bury a bottle containing the 

 information of his having done so for Captain 

 Beechey 's guidance. 



(Signed) " JOHN FRANKLIN, Captain. 



F. W. BEECHEY, Commander, His 

 Majesty's Sloop Blossom. 

 Woolwich, 1 Oth February, 1825." 



After the receipt of these instructions, I took an 

 early opportunity of communicating to the officers 

 under my command the sentiments of their lord- 

 ships, contained in the twelfth paragraph. How 



