THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 417 



chart of part of the coaft of China, &c. which, at that time, x 779- 

 we unfortunately had not on board. 



In obedience to the inftructions given to Captain Cook by 

 the Board of Admiralty, it now became neceffary to demand 

 of the officers and men their Journals, and what other 

 papers they might have in their poffeflion, relating to the 

 hiftory of our voyage. The execution of thefc orders 

 feemed to require fome delicacy, as well as firmnefs. I 

 could not be ignorant, that the greateft part of our officers, 

 and feveral of the feamen, had amufed themfclves with 

 writing accounts of our proceedings for their own private 

 fatis fact ion, or that of their friends, which they might be 

 unwilling, in their prefent form, to have Submitted to the 

 inspection of Strangers. On the other hand, I could nor, 

 confidently with the inftructions we had received, leave in 

 their cuftody papers, which, either from careleSTnefs or de- 

 Sign, might fall into the hands of printers, and give rife to 

 fpurious and imperfect accounts of the voyage, to the dis- 

 credit of our labours, and perhaps to the prejudice of 

 officers, who, though innocent, might be SuSpected of 

 having been the authors of fuch publications. As foon, 

 therefore, as I had aflembled the fhip's company on deck, 

 I acquainted them with the orders we had received, and 

 the reafons which, I thought, ought to induce them to yield 

 a ready obedience. At the fame time, I told them, that 

 any papers which they were defirous not to have fent to the 

 Admiralty, mould be fealed up in their prefence, and kept 

 in my own cuftody, till the intentions of the Board, with 

 regard to the publication of the Hiftory of the Voyage, 

 were fulfilled; after which, they mould faithfully be re- 

 Stored back to them. 



Vol. III. 3 H T t 



