THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
other papers they might have in their poffeffion, relat- 1779. 
ing to the hiftory of our voyage. The execution of thefe i NoTCmber ; 
orders feemed to require fome delicacy, as well as firm- 
nefs. I could not be ignorant, that the greateft part of 
our officers, and feveral of the feamen, had amufed them- 
felves with writing accounts of our proceedings for their 
own private fatisfadtion, or that of their friends, which 
they might be unwilling, in their prefent form, to have 
fubmitted to the infpedtion of ftr angers. On the other 
hand, I could not, confiftently w'ith the inftrudtions we 
had received, leave in their cuftody papers, which, either 
from careleffnefs or d,elign, might fall into the hands of 
printers, and give rife to fpurious and imperfedt accounts 
of the voyage, to the difcredit of our labours, and per¬ 
haps to the prejudice of officers, who> though inno¬ 
cent, might be fufpedled of having been the authors of 
fuch publications. As foon, therefore, as I had affem- 
bled the ffiip’s company on deck, I acquainted them with 
the orders we had received, and the reafons which, I 
thought, ought to induce them to yield a ready obedience. 
At the fame time, I told them, that any papers which they 
were defirous not to have fent to the Admiralty, fhould 
be fealed up in their prefence, and kept in my own cuf¬ 
tody, till the intentions of the Board, with regard to the 
publication of the Hiftory of the Voyage, were fulfilled; 
after which, they ffiould faithfully be reftored back ta 
them. 
It is with the greateft fatisfadlion I can relate, that my 
propofals met with the approbation, and the cheerful com¬ 
pliance both of the officers and men; and I am perfuaded, 
that every fcrap of paper, containing any tranfadlions re- 
1 fating 
