Page:Colnett - Voyage to the South Pacific (IA cihm 33242).djvu/27

 After this long detention, and the great expencesexpenſes [sic] which accompanied it, I hould not have been induced to undertake uch a voyage, for the mere caual advantages which the fihery might produce, if I had not received the tronget aurances from the beginning, that, if I executed the commiion aigned me by the Board of Admiralty, I hould not fail of particular promotion; and that in any general promotion which might take place, during my abence, I hould not be forgotten.

Though my former voyages were principally undertaken with the views of commercial advantage, I was never inattentive to the advancement of nautical cience: my obervation was always awake to every object which might intruct myelf and enable me to intruct others; and I contantly committed my thoughts to paper as they aroe in my mind from the appearance of things around me, or the circumtances, whatever they might be, in which I happened to be involved. I cannot be