20 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 
Britiili Court, in which iituation he was when he became known 
to the Committee, and expreffed his wihingnefs, with His Ma- 
jefty's permiflion, to undertake, in the Service of the Affocia-' 
tion, whatever Journey his knowlege of the Manners, Cuftoms^ 
and Language of the Arabs might enable him to perform. His 
Majefty, with that Hberal attention to the Progrefs of Know- 
ledge which at all times has diftinguifhed his reign, fignified his 
pleafure, that Mr. Lucas ihould proceed on the bufinefs of the 
Society ; and that his falary as Oriental Interpreter fliould be 
continued to him during his abfence. 
Having thus obtained the afliftance of two perfons fo emi-^ 
nently qualified to facilitate the attainment of its object, the 
Committee proceeded to prefcribe to them their refpedlive 
routs. 
To Mr. Led YARD they afligned, at his own defire, as ait 
enterprize of obvious peril and of difficult fuccefs, the talk of 
traverling from Eaft to Weft, in the latitude attributed to the 
Niger, the wideft part of the Continent of Africa. 
To Mr. Lucas, in confideration of the knowledge which he* 
poirelTed of the Language and Manners of the Arabs, they al- 
lotted 
