INSTRUCTIONS. 11 



find the course west of Spitzbergen obstructed 

 to such a degree, as, after reasonable trial, to 

 afford no chance of a passage, you are to re- 

 turn, and endeavour, if too much of the season 

 shall not have elapsed, to make your way to 

 the southward and westward of Spitzbergen. 

 In this case, too, you will endeavour, in the 

 first place, to pass due north over or near the 

 Pole, and only when that attempt shall be hope- 

 less, take such a lateral course as circumstances 

 may open to you. 



You will take all possible precaution against 

 being obliged to winter in those seas, particu- 

 larly in those north of Spitzbergen, concerning 

 which we are in a state of entire ignorance. 



Should you, either by passing over or near 

 the Pole, or by any lateral direction, make your 

 way to Behring's Strait, you are to endeavour 

 to pass into the Pacific Ocean ; and, in the event 

 of your succeeding to pass this strait, you are 

 then to make the best of your way to Kams- 

 chatka, if you think you can do so without 

 risk of being shut up by the ice on that coast, 

 for the purpose of delivering to the Russian 

 Governor duplicates of all the journals and 

 other documents which the passage may have 

 supplied ; with a request that they may be for- 

 warded overland to St. Petersburgh to be con- 



