your own objervation, or any information you may receive, there Jhall appear
to be a probability of fueh paffage, you are to proceed as above direSled: and,,
having dif covered fuch paffage, or failed in the attempt, make, the bejl of your
way back to England, by fuch route as you may think bejl for the improvement
of geography and navigation; repairing to Spithead with both Jloops, where
they are to remain .till further order.
At whatever places you may touch in the courfe of your voyage, where accurate
objervations of the nature hereafter mentioned have not already been made,
you are, as far as your time will allow, very carefully to obferve the truefitu-
ation o f fuch places, both in latitude and longitude',‘ the 'Variation of the.
needle; bearings of head-lands; height, direction, and courfe of the tides and
currents-, depths and foundings of the Jea; Jhoals, rocks, & c .; and alfo. to
furvey, make charts, and take views of fuch bays, harbours, and different
parts of the coaft, and to make fuch notations thereon, as may be ufeful either
to navigation or commerce. You are alfo carefully to obferve the nature of the
foil, and the produce thereof; the animals and fowls that inhabit or frequent
i t ; the fijhes that are to be found in the rivers or upon the coaft; and in what
plenty, and, in cafe there are any peculiar to fuch places, to dejcribethem as.
minutely, and to make as accurate drawings of them, as yo.u can: and, i f you.
find any metals, minerals, or valuable /tones, or any extraneous foffils, you
are to bring home fpecimens of each; as alfo of the feeds of fuch trees, Jhrubs
plants, fruits, and grains, peculiar to thofe places, as you may be able, to col-
lebt, and to tranjmit them to our Secretary, that proper examination? and experiments
may be made of them. You are likewfe to .obferve the genius, temper,,
dijpofition, and number of the natives, and inhabitant's, where yeu. find any -,.
and to endeavour, by all proper means, tocultivate a friendjhip with them;
making them prejents of fuch trinkets as you may have on board, and they may
like bejl-, inviting them to traffic-, and J.hewing them every kind of civility and’
regardbut taking care, neverthelejs, not to Juffer your/elf to be.furpriz.ed. by;
them, but to be always on, your guard againft any. accidents.
You are alfo, with the conjent of the natives,, to takepojfejfion, in the name:
of the King of Great Britain, of convenient Jjtuatims in fuch countries as you.
may dif cover, that have, not already been dif covered or vifited by. any other
European power; and to dijlribute among the inhabitants fuch things as will
remain as traces, and teftimonies of your having been there-, but if. you find the
countries fo dtfcovered are uninhabited, you are'to take pojfeffion of them for his
Majefty, by Jetting up proper marks.-and infcriptions,;as firjl difcoverers. and:
pojfejfors..
BjitforaJmuch as, in undertakings of this pature, feveral emergencies may
arife not io be forefeen, and therefore not particularly to be provided for by
tnftrubhons before-hand-, you are, in all fuch cafes, to proceed as you Jhall
jitdge moft advantageous to. thejervice on which you are employed.
You are, by all opportunities} to fend to our Secretary, for our information
accounts of your proceedings, .and copies of the furveys and drawings you Jhall
have made-, and upon your arrival in England, you are immediately to repair
to this office, m order to lay befire.us a fu t i account 'ofyour proceedings in the
whole courfe of your voyage; takingcare, before you leave theJloop, to demand
from the officers and petty officers, the, log-books and journals they may have
kept, and to feal them up for our injpeStion-, and enjoining them, and the whole
crew, not to divulge where they have been, until they Jhall have permiffion fa
to do: and you are to dirett Captain Clerk to do theJame, with rejpebl to the
officers, petty officers, and crew of the Difcovery.
I f my accidentJhouldhappen to thè Rejolutm in the courfe of the voyage
fo as to dijable her from proceeding any farther, you are, in fuch cafe to re-
. move your/elf and her crew into the Difcovery, and to projecute your voyage in
her; her Commander being hereby JlriSlly required to receive you eh board
. andto obey your orders, the Jame, in every refpeUi, as when,you were actually
on board, the ftejolution: And, m cafe of your inability, by ficknefs or other -
wife, to carry, thefe Infirublions into execution, you are to be careful to leave
them with the next officer in command, who is hereby required to execute them
tn the befi manner he can.
Given under our bands the 6th day of July, t jq 6,
SAN DW ICH .
C. S P E N C E R .
d j s-By command o f th, ei■ r Lto rdjhtps, H- P A L L I S E R .
PH. S T E PH E N S .
Beiides ordering Captain Cook to fail on this important
voyage, Government, in earneft about the objeift of it
adopted a meafure, which, while it could not but have a
e 2 powerful