Читать книгу A Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean - George Vancouver. - Страница 5

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(Translated from the Spanish.)

"In conformity to the first article of the convention of 28th October, 1790, between our court and that of London, (printed copies of which you will have already received, and of which another copy is here inclosed, in case the first have not come to hand) you will give directions that His Britannic Majesty's officer, who will deliver this letter, shall immediately be put into possession of the buildings and districts, or parcels of land, which were occupied by the subjects of that sovereign in april, 1789, as well in the port of Nootka, or of Saint Lawrence, as in the other, said to be called port Cox, and to be situated about sixteen leagues distant from the former to the southward; and that such parcels or districts of land, of which the English subjects were dispossessed, be restored to the said officer, in case the Spaniards should not have given them up.

"You will also give orders, that if any individual in the service of British subjects, whether a Chinese, or of any other nation, should have been carried away and detained in those parts, such person shall be immediately delivered up to the above-mentioned officer.

"I also communicate all this to the viceroy of New Spain by His Majesty's command, and by the same royal command I charge you with the most punctual and precise execution of this order.

"May God preserve you many years.

(Signed) "The Count Florida Blanca."

"Aranjuez, 12th may, 1791.

"To the governor or commander

of the port at Saint Lawrence."

"By the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of Great-Britain and Ireland, &c.

"In addition to former orders, you are hereby required and directed, by all proper conveyances, to fend to our secretary, for our information, accounts of your proceedings, and copies of the surveys and drawings you shall have made; and, upon your arrival in England, you are immediately to repair to this office, in order to lay before us a full account of your proceedings in the whole course of your voyage; taking care, before you leave the sloop, to demand from the officers, and petty-officers, the log-books, journals, drawings, &c. they may have kept, and to seal them up for our inspection; and enjoining them, and the whole crew, not to divulge where they have been until they mail have permission so to do: and you are to direct the lieutenant commanding the Chatham armed tender to do the same, with respect to the officers, petty-officers, and crew of that tender.

"Given under our hands the 10th of august, 1791."

"To		"Chatham.
"George Vancouver, Esq.		"J. T. Townshend.
commander of His Majesty's sloop		"A. Gardner."
the Discovery.
By command of their Lordships.
Ph. Stephens."

Amongst other objects demanding my attention, whilst engaged in carrying these orders into execution, no opportunity was neglected to remove, as far as I was capable, all such errors as had crept into the science of navigation, and to establish, in their place, such facts as would tend to facilitate the grand object of finding the longitude at sea; which now seems to be brought nearly to a certainty, by pursuing the lunar method, assisted by a good chronometer. On this, as well as some other subjects, it is highly probable, that great prolixity and repetition will be found in the following pages; it will, however, readily appear to the candid perusers of this voyage, that, as the primary design of the undertaking was to obtain useful knowledge, so it became an indispensable duty, on my part, to use my utmost exertions and abilities in doing justice to the original intention; by detailing the information that arose in the execution of it, in a way calculated to instruct, even though it should fail to entertain. And when the writer alleges, that from the age of thirteen, his whole life, to the commencement of this expedition, (fifteen months only excepted) has been devoted to constant employment in His Majesty's naval service, he feels, and with all possible humility, that he has some claims to the indulgence of a generous public; who, under such circumstances, will not expect to find elegance of direction, purity of style, or unexceptionable grammatical accuracy: but will be satisfied with "a plain unvarnished" relation, given with a rigid attention to the truth of such transactions and circumstances as appeared to be worthy of recording by a naval officer, whose greatest pride is to deserve the appellation of being zealous in the service of his king and country.