A V O T A G E T O
Dec*mb
David Nel-
fon, William
Brown.
hath, in order to promote the interefts of lo refpeétablé a
body of his fubjedts (éfpecially in an inftance which pro-
mifes general advantage) thought fit that meafores fhould
be taken for the procuring fome of thole trees, and conveying
them to the faid Weft India iflands : Aüdwherèas
the veflel under your command • hath, in consequence
thereof, been ftored and victualled for that fervice, and
fitted with! proper conveniences and neceffaries for tho
prefervation of as many o f the faid trees as, from her iize,
can he taken on board hér; and you have been directed to.
receive on hoard her the two gardeners, named in the
margin, who, from their knowledge of-trees and plantè^ '
have been hired for the purpofe of feleCting fuch as Ihall
appear to he of a proper Ipecies and fize :••••-
You are, therefore; in purfuance o f hrs rnajefty’s -plea-
fiire, fignified to Us by I>örd; Sydney,' ;dné o f his principal
fecretaries of date, hereby required and directed to put to
lea in the veflel you -command, the firft favourable Opportunity
Of wind and Weather, and proceed with her1,
expeditioufly as poffitde, round Cape Horn, to the Society
Iflands, fituate in the Southern ocean; in the latitudedof
about eighteen degrees South',: and longitude o f about two
hundred and ten degrees Eaft- from Greenwich, where,
according to. the acCc^fö myen by,the.late Gapt. Gook,
and perfons wha accompanied him dining his voyages, the
bread-fruit tree-is to be foiindTin the maft luxuriant Hate. |
Havings arrived at the ' ahove-meritionéd iflands, and
taken , on hoard as many trees anft^ planfè> ik;Tmay''hu
thought neceffary (thé better to enable you to do wbiehr,
you have already been furnifhed with fuch. -article» o f
merchandize and-trinkets as it iis. fiagpofed Will he wanted
to fatisfy the natives), you are to jè'oceed from thence
through'
T H E S O U T H S E A & fee. 7
through Endeavour rStieigfets (which feparate New Hoi- »7*7^
land from NewGuinea)‘to Prince’?, Ifland, ia the Streigfets
o f Sunda, or, i f it fhould h-appento be -more convenient,
to pals on the eaftern fide of Java to fbme peart on the north
fide o f that ifland, where any bread-fruit trees wfoich may
have been injured, pr have died, may be replaced by man-
gofteem, 4u-riens> Jacks, nancas,.lanfas, and other fine fruit
trees o f that quarter, as well as the ride plant which grows
upon dry land; all of which fpeeies (or fuch o f them as
fhall be judged moil eligible) you are to purchafb on the
heft terms you can .from the inhabitants o f that ifland, with
the ducats with wbich you '.beea .fiamaifl*d': for
that purpofe; taking care, however, i f thejripe plants above-
mentioned cannot be procured at Java, to touch at Prince’s
Ifland for them, where they are regularly’ epltivafed.
. From Prince’s Ifland, or the Iflandliof Java, you are to
proceed round the Gape o f Good Hope to the, Weft Indies
fcailirlg on your wEfthither at any places which may be
thought neceflary) and depofit one half of fuch o f the
above-mentioned trees and plants as may be then alive
at his majefty’s botanical garden at! St. Vincent,” for the
benefit of the Windwardlflannisjiand then gO on to Jamaica:
and, having delivered the remainder to- Mr. Eaft, or fuch
perfon or perfons as may be authorized -by the governor
and council o f that ifland to receive them ; refreftled your
people, and received on board fuch provifions and ftores as .
may he, nicefery for the Voyage, make the beft of iyduir
way hack to England; repairing to Spithead, ahd fending
to our fecretary an account of your arrival and procised,-
ings. .
And whereas you will receive herewith a copy o f the in-
ftru&ions which have been given to the above-mentioned 1
gardeners