INTRODUCTION. XV 



a safe conveyance to England, you are to avail your- 

 self of it to send home any despatches you may 

 have, accompanied by journals, charts, drawings, 

 &c, and such specimens of natural history as may 

 have been collected. And you will, on each of your 

 visits to Ovvhyhee, deliver to his Majesty's consul at 

 that place duplicates of all your previous collections 

 and documents, to be transmitted by him, by the 

 first safe opportunity, to England. 



" In the event of England becoming involved in 

 hostilities with any other power during your ab- 

 sence, you are, nevertheless, clearly to understand 

 that you are not on any account to commit any 

 hostile act whatsoever ; the vessel you command be- 

 ing sent out only for the purpose of discovery and 

 science, and it being the practice of all civilized na- 

 tions to consider vessels so employed as excluded 

 from the operations of war : and, confiding in this 

 general feeling, we should trust that you would re- 

 ceive every assistance from the ships or subjects of 

 any foreign power which you may fall in with. 



" On your return home you will proceed to Spit- 

 head, informing our secretary of your arrival. 



" Given under our hands, the 11th of May, 1825. 



" MELVILLE. 

 WM. JOHNSTONE HOPE. 

 G. COCKBURN. 

 G. CLERK. 

 W. R. K. DOUGLAS. 



" To Frederick William Beechey, Esq. 

 Commander of his Majesty's Sloop Blossom, at Spithead. 



'" By command of their lordships. 



" J. W. CROKER." 



