INTRODUCTION. xxxv 



may find it useful to employ one or more of the respectable inliabitants to pro- 

 ceed with you as interpreters, and to explain to their countrymen, the real 

 motives and views of the expedition. You will, of course, avail yourself of the 

 assistance of such persons, and collect from tb.em every information they may 

 be able to give of those parts of the continent through whicli the river 

 descends ; and on your entering the country of any new tribe of people, your 

 first care should be to obtain interpreters, and to make it clearly understood to 

 tlie chiefs of every tribe, that you mean to make them suitable presents, or pay 

 them such transit duty as may be customary ; and you are to take especial care 

 that no cause of jealousy or quarrels with the natives be occasioned by any of 

 the officers or men under your orders. 



It would be unnecessary to go into a minute detail of the various duties you 

 will have to perform on this voyage of discovery, the conduct of which has been 

 intrusted to your charge ; or of the probable objects that will present themselves 

 for your research ; but the mention of some of the more prominent points that 

 should claim your attention, may enable you to prepare yourself on your pas- 

 sage thither, by making arrange. nents for your future proceedings after the de- 

 parture of the transport for England 



Among the more important points, tl^n, for observation, may be mentioned, 

 the depth of the river ; the strength of the current in general, and its velocity in 

 particular places; the quantity of it* rise and fall, from land floods and 

 droughts ; the quality of the water as to clearness or muddiness ; the direc- 

 tion of the several reaches; and the latitude and longitude of every spot 

 remarkable for any particular produce, towns, hamlets, neighbouring mountains, 

 L-c. and of the points of junction of branches falling into the main stream ; all 

 of which should be particularly attended to. The variation of the compass 

 should be taken and stated down, as frequently as opportunities may offer for 

 ascertaining it ; and a set of observations t)f the dip of the magnetic needle is 

 very desirable, to obtain which, their Lordships have directed a very excellent 

 dipping needle, by Blunt, to be supplied for your use. 



You will also, V ith die assistance of the Surveyor, be careful to keep an ac- 

 count of each dav s run, to enable you to lay down with tolerable correctness 

 a chart of the river and the adjacent banks, and on such a scale, as will admit 

 of the main features of the country, and all remarkable objects, being marked 

 down upon it : airung other things, the ranges of wood alon^ the banks ; the 

 places where those ranges are interrupted, and to what extent ; the nature of 

 the prevailing trees, and dieir quality as fuel in a grce.i state, in order 

 that a competent judgment may be formed of the supply of fuel, should 



