76 
FIRST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
may be impeded by ice, or find it necessary to approach the 
coasts of the continent or islands, you are to cause views of 
hays, headlands, &c., to be carefully taken, to illustrate and 
explain the track of the vessels, or such charts as you may be 
able to make: in which duty you will be assisted by Lieutenant 
Hoppner, whose skill in drawing is represented to be so con¬ 
siderable, as to supersede the necessity of appointing a profes¬ 
sional draughtsman. 
You are to make use of every means in your power to collect 
and preserve such specimens of the animal, mineral, and vege¬ 
table kingdoms, as you can conveniently stow on board the ships, 
and of the larger animals you are to cause accurate drawings to 
be made, to accompany and elucidate the descriptions of them. 
In this as well as in every other part of your scientific duty, we 
trust that you will receive material assistance from Capt. Sabine. 
You are to use your best endeavours to give instructions to the 
same effect to Lieutenant Parry, to keep the two vessels con¬ 
stantly together, and prevent their separation; if however they 
should separate, you are to appoint Lerwick in the Shetland 
Islands, as the first rendezvous, and after that Love Bay, Disco 
Island, in Davis’ Strait, beyond which as nothing is known, no 
other rendezvous can be appointed. And in the event of any 
irreparable accident happening to either of the ships, you are to 
cause the officers and crew of the disabled ship to be removed 
into the other, and with her singly to proceed in prosecution of 
the voyage, or return to England, according as circumstances 
shall appear to require; should, unfortunately your own ship be 
the one disabled; you are in that case to take the command of 
the Alexander ; and in the event of your own inability by sickness, 
or otherwise, to carry these instructions into execution, you are 
to transfer them to the Lieutenant next in command, who is 
hereby required to execute them in the best manner he can, for 
the attainment of the several objects in view.” 
The foregoing may be considered as the principal instructions 
laid down for the conduct of Captain Ross during the expedition, 
and they are drawn up with that minuteness as to provide for 
almost every emergency that could befal him on his voyage. 
During the stay of the ships at Deptford, they were joined by 
