APPENDIX. 453 



attention to accelerate its complete attainment. All the risk attendant 



on the undertaking he will cheerfully bear ; he will require no pecuniary 



aid, and all the encouragement he humbly solicits, is the protection 



of government, permission to occupy a sufficient tract of unoccupied 



lands to feed his flocks, and the indulgence of selecting from amongst 



the convicts, such men for shepherds, as may, from their previous 



occupations, know something of the business. 



(Signed) John M' Arthur. 

 London, 26th July, 1803. 



XXIV. 



U. S. Flag-Ship Vincennes, 

 New Zealand, Bay of Islands, April 5th, 1840. 

 My dear Sir, — 



I need not tell you how much I feel interested in your cruise. From 

 the interest you took in the outfit of our expedition, I am sure you- well 

 know the interest it excites, and how much this feeling is heightened 

 by a knowledge on my part of what you have undertaken, and have 

 to go through. This prompts me to a desire to be useful to you if 

 possible, and to give you my experience of the last season among the 

 ice, whither you are bound. 



Your cruise will be an arduous one, no matter how you may be 

 enlightened on your course ; but you have so much knowledge of the 

 ice, and the manner of treating it, that it appears almost presumptuous 

 in me to sit down to give you any hints relative to it. But, believing 

 as I do, that the ice of the Antarctic is of a totally different character 

 from that of the Arctic, I venture to offer you a few hints that may be 

 useful to you in your undertaking ; and although my instructions are 

 binding upon me relative to discoveries, I am nevertheless aware that 

 I am acting as my government would order, if they could have anti- 

 cipated the case, knowing how deeply it feels the liberal assistance and 

 great interest evinced by all the societies and distinguished men of 

 Great Britain, to promote and aid this, our first undertaking in the 

 great cause of science and usefulness ; and I must add the pleasure it 

 gives to me personally, to be able to return, though in a small degree, 

 the great obligation I myself feel under to you, and many others, the 

 promoters of your undertaking. 



Winds. — The winds for the first fortnight of our time, to the east- 

 ward of longitude 140° E., were from the northward and westward, 

 light generally, accompanied occasionally with clear weather for hours, 

 and again with dense fogs of short duration, with a long swell from 

 the same quarter. 



VOL. II. 2N2 51 



