f 
Chap. I. for difcovering N o R 
“ vour, by all proper Means^ to cultivate a Friendihip 
and Alliance with them i prefenting them with fuch 
Trifles as they value, and fliewing them all pofllble 
‘‘ Civility and Refpedl \ but to take Caution, if* 
“ they be numerous, not to let yourfelf be furprifed ; 
“ but to be conffantly on your Guard againfl; any 
“ Accidents. 
“ If you find it proper to winter on the other Side of 
the Paflfage, get to a warm Climate, not more 
northerly than 42 Degrees, in fome fafe Harbour that 
may be of Ufe in a future Settlement, and rather 
“ make an Ifland, if there be a good Harbour, which 
“ would be fafer than on the Continent for an Infant 
“ Settlement. 
, “ If your Place of wintering is within a proper Diflance 
“ to be fupplied by the Natives on the Continent, take 
“ proper Seeds of Fruit-Trees, Plants, Grain, andPulfe, 
“ and fow them in the Spring ; or in cafe you find any 
“ civilized Nation who want fuch Kinds, you may pre- 
“ fent fome to them, and make them lenfible of their 
“ Ufe and Manner of Culture. 
“ In Places where you meet with Inhabitants, make 
“ Purchafes with their Confent, and take Pofleflion of 
“ convenient Situations in the Country, in the Name of 
his Majeffy of Great Britain. 
“ But when there are no Inhabitants, you muft take 
“ Pofleflion by fetting up proper Infcriptions as Firfl: 
“ Difcoverers and Pofleflbrs. 
If in your Paffage you meet with any Ships trading 
“ to the weftern Countries eaftward of Japon., or any 
“ Japonefe Ships, and you apprehend any Danger from 
them, either from their Force or Number, you are to 
‘‘ proceed no farther in the Difcovery, but are imme- 
‘‘ diately to return, that Ships of fufficient Force may be 
“ fent out the next Seafon to begin a Trade, or to make 
“ a Settlement without any Apprehenfion of Difturbance 
‘‘ from any powerful Nation on that Side, left any Ac- 
“ cident fhould prevent your Return, and difcourage any 
“ farther Attempts to be made for the future. If you 
‘‘ fhould arrive at California without any Apprehenfion 
‘‘ of Danger, and chufe to winter in 42 Degrees (where 
“ Caxton is faid to have found a civilized Nation and a 
“ good Harbour) or more foutherly, then endeavour to 
“ meet Capt. Anfon in the Month of December, before 
“ the Arrival of the Manilla Ship at xhe.Cape St. Lucas, 
“ the fouthernCape of California, and leave a Copy of 
“ your Journal with him., left any Accident fhould 
“ happen to you upon your Return, and fo the Difcovery 
“ be loft, and it might prevent Ships being fent out to 
“ your Relief in cafe of Shipwreck. 
“ But forafmuch as in an Undertaking of this Nature, 
“ feveral Emergencies may arife not to be forefeen, and 
“ therefore not fo particularly to be provided for by In- 
‘‘ ftruhlions before-hand, you are in fuch Cafe to pro- 
“ ceed as upon Advice with your Officers you fliall 
“ judge may be moft advantageous to the Service on 
“ which you are employed. 
“ When you return home, you are to proceed into 
“ the River fhames, and fend our Secretary an Account 
“ of your Arrival, and Proceedings, for our Inform- 
“ ation. Given under our Hands the 20th of May, 
“ 1741. 
“ Charles TVa^er, 
“ Thomas Frankland. 
“ Glenorchy. 
To Capt. Middleton, Commander of His Majeffs Sloop 
“ the Furnace, Deptford. 
, “ By Command of their Lordfhips. 
“ Thomas Corbett. 
“ By the Commijfioners for executing the Office of Lord 
. “ High Admiral of Great Britain and Ireland, (Ac. 
“ You are hereby directed, during the Courfe of your 
intended Voyage, not to give any. Difturbance or Mo- 
leftation to any of the Ships or Sloops employed in the 
‘‘ Service of the Hudfon*s Bay Company , but to give 
them all Protection and Afliftance that lies in yoiir 
" H-w EST Passage. 443 
Power, whenever any Opportunity offers of yolir be- 
“ ing ferviceable to them. Given under our Hands the 
“ 29 th Day of 1741. 
Charles Wager ^ 
■ V ere Beauckrk, 
‘‘ Gler^orchy. 
“ By Command of their Lordfhips. 
“ Thomas Corbett. 
We may plainly fee from thefe Inftru6lions, that no- 
thing was wanting on the Part of the Admiralty to fur- 
ther this important Difcovery, but that however Captain. 
Middleton was left fufficiently at his Liberty, as indeed it 
was very reafonable he fliould, to profecute whatever Me- 
thods his own Circumftances and the Situation of Things 
fhould fuggeft to him for the Furtherance of the Defign 
when he came to be engaged in the Execution of it, and 
which it was impoflible to forefee and provide for before 
that time. It is plain alfo, that all due Care was taken of 
the HudfofsBay Company, in that they had not the leaft 
Reafon to complain that this Expedition made by the 
King’s Ships, within the Limits of their Charter, could 
in any Degree turn to their Prejudice. But it is now time 
to fee what Effecls a Scheme executed with fo much 
Judgment and Deliberation produced, and this vdll be 
beft feen from an Extract: of the Captain’s own Journal 
which we fliall give the Reader j and fhall then furnifli 
him with with fome other Lights, in order to fhew why 
the want of Succefs in this Undertaking did not entirely 
deftroy all Thoughts of finding fuch a Paffage as Captain 
Middleton fought for through Hudfofs Bay. 
An AbfiraSi of Captain Chriftopher MiddletonT 
Journal. 
6. I failed from Churchill the ill Day of July, and con- 
tinued failing with a fair Wind till the 3d, when we faw 
an Ifland, the two Extremities bearing North by Eaft, 
and Eaft by North, lying in the Latitude of 63 Degrees 
North, and Longitude from Churchill 3 Degrees 40 Minutes 
Eaft •, which I took to be the fame which Fox named 
Brook Cobh am. On the 5 th Day I fav/'a Head-Land on 
the North-fide of the Welcome, bearing North- weft by 
North, feven or eight Leagues diftant, in the I.atitiide 
of 83 Degrees 20 Minutes, and Longitude from Churchill 
4 Degrees. Flere I tried the Tides feveral times, and 
found clofe in v/ith the Land the Tide to run two Miles 
an Hour from the North by Eaft, which I took to be the 
Flood ; and by the Slacks, from feveral Trials, I found 
that a Weft, or Weft by North Moon, made high Water, 
having a Full Moon that Day. On the 8th Day I faw 
the North-fide of Welcome, with much Ice in Shore : 
I tried the Tide, and found it fet Eaft north-eaft, two 
Fathoms. On the 9th, continuing my Courfe, and faih 
ing through much Ice, I was obliged at length to’grapple 
to a large Piece, the Tender did the fame, to keep off 
from Shore, the Wind blowing us right upon it: I tried 
the Tide frequently, and could difcover neither Flood 
nor Ebb by my Current-Log ; Here we were fiftia mined 
up in Ice, being totally furrounded for many Miles, and 
the Wind fetting it right upon us : It was all Ice for ten 
Leagues to windward, and we were in great Danger of 
being forced afhore ; but it happily falling calm after we 
had lain in this Condition tv/o or three Days, the Pieces 
of Ice feparated, or made fmall Openings ; wc being then 
within two Miles of the Shore, and with no fmall Diffi*^ 
culty hauled the Ship from one Place to another, till we 
got amongft what we call Sailing Ice, that is, where there 
are fuch Intervals of Water as a Ship, by feveral Traverfes, 
may get forward towards the intended Courfe. In this 
Manner we continued till we faw a fair Cape or Plead'* 
land to the northward of the Whalebone Point, in the 
Latitude of 65 Degrees 10 Minutes ; Longitude from 
Churchih 8 Degrees 54 Minutes Eaft ; and this Pnamed, 
after my worthy Friend, Cape Dobbs. 
I had very good Soundings between the two Shores of 
xh.^ Welcome, having forty- fix, forty-eight, and forty-nine 
Fathoms Water. At the fame time that I faw Gape Dobbs 
I faw a fair Opening bearing North by Weft, which, ac- 
cordins: 
