1772- On the 10th of May we left Long Reach, with orders to
—v— 1 touch at Plymouth; but in plying down the river, the Refo-
lution was found to be very crank, which made it neceflary
to put into Sheernefs, in order to remove this evil, by making
fome alterations in her upper works. Thefe the officers
of the yard were ordered to take in hand immediately; and
Lord Sandwich and Sir Hugh Pallifer came down to fee them
executed in fuch a manner as might effectually anfwer the
purpofe intended.
jane. On the S2d of June the fhip was again completed for fea,
when I failed from Sheernefs,; and on the 3d of July, joined
the Adventure in Plymouth Sound. The evening before, we
met, off the Sound, Lord Sandwich, in the Augufla yacht
(who was on his return from vifiting the feveral dock-yards)
with the Glory frigate and Hazard Hoop. We faluted his
Lordfhip with feventeen guns; and foon after he andSirHugh
Pallifer gave us the laft mark of the very great attention they
had paid to this equipment, by coming on board, to fatisfy
themfelves that every thing was done to my wifh, and that
the fhip was found to anfwer to my fatisfaftion.
At Plymouth I received my inflrufliöns, dated thé 25th of
June, directing me to take under my command the Adventure
; to make the beft of my way to the ifland of Madeira,
there to take in a fupply of wine, and then proceed
to the Gape of Good Hope, where I was to rêfréfh the fhip’s
- companies, and to take on board fuch provifions and necef-
farie-s as l might Hand in need of. After leaving the Cape
of Good Hope, I was to proceed to the fouthward, and endeavour
to fall in with Cape Circumcifion, which was faid
by Monfieur Bouvet to lie in the latitude of 540 South,
and in about 11° so' Eaft longitude from Greenwich. If I
difcovered
difcovered this Cape,. I was to fatisfy myfelf Whether it was , 1772.
a part of the continent, whichhad fo much engaged the at- ,
tendon of geographers and former navigators, or a part of
an ifland. If it proved to be the former, I was to employ
myfelf diligently in exploring as great an extent of it as I
could; and to make fuch notations thereon, and obferva-
tions of every kind, as'might be ufeful either to navigation
or commerce, or tend to the promotion of natural knowledge.
I was alfo directed to obferve the genius, temper,
difpofition, and number, of the inhabitants, if there were
any, and endeavour, by all proper means, to cultivate a
friendfhip and alliance with them; making them prefentS
of fuch things as they might value; inviting them to traffic,
and fhewing them every kind o f civility and regard. I was
to continue to employ myfelf on this fervice, and making
difcoveries1 either to the Eaftward or WeftWard, as my fitu-
ation might render moft eligible ; keeping in as high a latitude
as I could, and profecuting my difcoveries as, near to
the South Pole as poffible ; fo long as the condition of the
fhips, the health of their crews, and the ftate of their provifions,
would admit o f; taking care to referve as much of
the latter as would enable me to reach fome known port,
where I was to procure a fufficiency to. bring me home to
England. But if Cape Circumcifion fhould prove to be part
of an ifland only, or if I fhould not be able to find the faid
Gape, I was in the firft cafe to make the neceffary furvey of
the ifland, and then to Hand on to the Southward, fo long
as I judged there was a likelihood of falling in with the
continent; which I was alfo to do in the latter cafe ; and
then to proceed to the Eaftward, in further fearch of the faid
continent, as well as to make difcoveries of fuch iflands as
might be fituated in that unexplored part of the Southern
B 2 hemifphere;