xxxvi I N T R O D U C T I O N .
powerful operation on the crews of the Refolution and Difcovery,
by adding the motives of intereft, to the obligations
o f duty ; at the fame time encouraged all his Majefty’s fub-
jects to engage in attempts toward the propofed difcovery.
By the adt of parliament, palfed in 1745 *, a reward of
twenty thoufand pounds had been held out. But it had
been held out only to the fhips belonging to any of his MajeJlyrs
JubjeHs, exclufive of his Majefty’s own Ihips. The adt had »
ftill more capital defedt. It held out this reward only to fuch
fhips as fhould difcover a paflage through Hudfon's Bay, and,
as we ihall foon take occafion to explain, it was, by this
time, pretty certain, that no fuch paflage exifted within
thofe limits. Effedtual care was taken to remedy both thefe
defedts, by paffing a new la w ; which, after reciting the
provifions of the former, proceeds as follows: “ And
« whereas many advantages, both to commerce and fcience,
“ may be alfo expedted from the difcovery of any Northern
“ PaJFaSe f° r veflels by fea, between the Atlantic and Pacific
“ Oceans—be it enadted, That i f any fliip belonging to any
“ of his Majefty’s fubjedls, or to his Majefy,. lhall find out,
“ and fail through, any paflage by fea, between the Atlan-
*< tic and Pacific Oceans, in any direction, or parallel of the
“ Northern hemifphere, to the Northward of the 52° o f
“ Northern latitude, the owners o f fuch fhips, if belong-
i< jng to any of his Majefty’s fubjedls, or the commander, ojfi-
“ cers, and feamen, of fuch Jhip belonging to his Majejly, lhall re-
« ceive, as a reward for fuch difcovery, the fum of twenty
“ thoufand pounds.
u And whereas fhips employed, both in the Spitzbergen
“ Seas, and in Davis’s Straits, have frequent opportunities
* See the Statutes at Large, 18 George II. chap. 1 7 .
X “• of
I N T R O D U C T I O N . xxxvii
* of .approaching the North Pole, though they have not
*f time, during the courfe of one fummer, to penetrate into
“ the Pacific Ocean: and whereas fuch approaches may
“ greatly tend to the difcovery of a communication between
“ the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as be attended
f‘ with many advantages to bommeree and fcience, &c. be
“ it enadted, That if any Ihip lhall approach to within 1“
1 of the North Pole, the owner, &c. or commander, &c.
“ fo approaching, lhall receive, as a reward for fuch firit
« approach, the fum o f five thoufand pounds *.”
That nothing might be omitted that could facilitate the
fuccefs of Captain Cook’s expedition, fome time before he:
failed, in the beginning of the fummer o f 1776, Lieutenant
Pickerfgill, appointed Commander o f his Majefty’a armed
brig the Lion, was ordered. “ to proceed to Davis’s Straits,
“ for the protedlion o f the Britilh whale f i lher sand that
firft objedt being fecured, “ he was then required and di-
“ redted to proceed up Baffin’s Bay, and explore the eoafts,
w thereof, as far as in his judgment the fame could be done.
« without apparent rilk, taking care to leave the above-
“ mentioned Bay fo timely, as to fecure his return to Eng-
“ land in the fall o f the year and it was farther enjoined
to him, “ to make nautical remarks of every kind, and to*
“ employ Mr. Lane (Mailer of the veflel under his com-
“ mand) in furveying, making charts, and taking views o f
“ the feveral bays, harbours, and different parts of thecoafts.
* which he might viiit, and in making fuch notations thereoni
“ as might he ufeful to geography and navigation j\’’
* See.the Statutes at.Large, 17.76, 16 George I I I. chap. 6*.'
•fo From his MS.. Inftru¿lions, dated May 14, 1776.-
Eickerfgjllj,