20 



JOURNAL. 



iyf^„ ' winds prevented our going down the river till the 26th, 



~^ ' when I received my inftrudions for the voyage, dated the 



25th; direding mc to fall down to the Nore in the 

 Racehorfe, and there taking under my command the 

 Carcafs, to make the beft of my way to the Northward, 

 and proceed up to the North Pole, or as far towards it as 

 pofiible, and as nearly upon a meridian as the ice or other 

 obftrudions might admit ; and, during the courfe of the 

 voyage, to make fuch obfervations of every kind as might 

 be ufeful to navigation, or tend to the promotion of na- 

 tural knowledge : in cafe of arriving at the Pole, and 

 even finding free navigation on the oppofite meridian, 

 not to proceed any farther ; and at all events to fecure 

 my return to the Nore before the winter fhould fet in. 

 There was alfo a claufe authorizing me to proceed, in 

 unforefeen cafes, according to my own difcretion ; and 

 another claufe direding me to profecute the voyage on 

 board the Carcafs, in cafe the Racehorfe fhould be loft or 

 difabled. 



27th. I anchored at the Nore, and was joined by 

 Captain Lutwidge, in the Carcafs, on the 30th : .her 

 -equipment was to have been in all refpeds the fame as that 

 of the Racehorfe, but when fitted, Captain Lutwidge find- 

 ing her too deep in the water to proceed to fea with fafety, 

 obtained leave of the Admiralty to put fix more guns on 

 fliore, to reduce the complement to eighty men, and re- 

 turn a quantity of provifions proportionable to that re- 

 4 dudion. 



