at feveral Ports, and Situations at Sea, from Obfer- vations made on board his Majesty's Ship the DoL- PHIN; and her Nautical Reckoning during the Voyage which he made round the World in the GENERAL "W may be found in the Atlantic Ocean, between the Cape of Good Hope and the Magellanic “Streight, within the latitudes convenient for na vigation, GENERAL INTRODUCTION. IS Majefty, foon after his acceffion to the crown, formed a defign of fending out veffels for making difcoveries of countries hitherto unknown, and in the year 1764, the kingdom being then in a state of profound peace, he proceeded to put it into execution. The Dolphin and the Tamar were dispatched under the command of Commodore Byron, and the best account of his Majefty's motives and defign that can be given, will be found in the following preamble to Commodore Byron's inftructions, which are dated the 17th of June in that year. "Whereas nothing can redound more to the honour of this nation, as a maritime power, to "the dignity of the Crown of Great Britain, and "to the advancement of the trade and navigation "thereof, than to make difcoveries of countries "hitherto unknown; and whereas there is reason to believe that lands and iflands of great extent, hitherto unvifited by any European power, "may be found in the Atlantic Ocean, between the Cape of Good Hope and the Magellanic Streight, within the latitudes convenient for na"vigation, 7 "vigation, and in climates adapted to the pro"duce of commodities ufeful in commerce; and "whereas his Majefty's iflands called Pepys' "Ifland, and Falkland's Islands, lying within the "faid tract, notwithstanding their having been "firft difcovered and vifited by British navigators, "have never yet been fo fufficiently furveyed as "that an accurate judgment may be formed of "their coafts and product; his Majefty taking "the premises into confideration, and conceiving "no conjuncture fo proper for an enterprife of this nature, as a time of profound peace, which his kingdoms at present happily enjoy, has thought "fit that it fhould now be undertaken." The Dolphin was a man of war of the fixth rate, mounting twenty-four guns: her complement was 150 men, with three Lieutenants, and thirty-feven petty officers. The Tamar was a floop, mounting fixteen guns: her complement was ninety men, with three Lieutenants, and two and twenty petty officers, and the command of her was given to Captain Mouat. ་ Commodore Byron returned in the month of May in the year 1766, and in the month of Auguft following, the Dolphin was again fent out, under the command of Captain Wallis, with the Swallow, commanded by Captain Carteret, in prosecution of the fame general defign of making difcoveries in the fouthern hemifphere. The equipment of the Dolphin was the fame as before. The |