INTRODUCTION. 
Xlll 
will pay every attention in your power to the preservation of the 
various specimens of natural history, and on your arrival in England 
transmit them to this office ; and if, on your arrival at any place in the 
course of your voyage, you should meet with a safe conveyance to 
England, you are to avail yourself of it to send home any despatches 
you may have, accompanied by journals, charts, drawings, &c., and such 
specimens of natural history as may have been collected. And you 
will, on each of your visits to Owhyhee, deliver to his majesty’s consul 
at that place duplicates of all your previous collections and documents, 
to be transmitted by him, by the first safe opportunity, to England. 
“ In the event of England becoming involved in hostilities with 
any other power during your absence, you are, nevertheless, clearly to 
understand that you are not on any account to commit any hostile 
act whatsoever ; the vessel you command being sent out only for the 
purpose of discovery and science, and it being the practice of all 
civilized nations to consider vessels so employed as excluded from the 
operations of war : and, confiding in this general feeling, we should 
trust that you would receive every assistance from the ships or subjects 
of any foreign power which you may fall in with. 
“ On your return home you will proceed to Spithead, informing 
our secretary of your arrival. 
“ Given under our hands, the 11th of May, 1825. 
» MELVILLE. 
WM. JOHNSTONE HOPE. 
G. COCKBURN. 
G. CLERK. 
W. R. K. DOUGLAS. 
“ To Frederick William Beecliey, Esq., 
Commander of his Majesty’s Sloop Blossom, at Spithead. 
“ By command of their lordships, 
“ J. W. CROKER.’^ 
