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[Page 5]
soon as the principal ship was bought I went down to see her & immediately declard her in my opinion very improper for the voyage instead of a Collier the Kind of ship vessel which I always understood to have been intended this she was a Ship of a mixd Kind built in order to be sold if Possible to the Russians as a ship of war the upper part of her was narrow'd in considerably in order to support her guns a circumstance which at once made her sure to turn out inconvenient & not unlikely (as since has been prov'd) to be likewise dangerous
# it was necessary that there should be a more than Common provision of accomodations to put in in their [power?] to carry on the different branches of Science which they Embarkd in order to pursue for such accomodations I ask'd & was told that they could not be made without rendering the Ship dangerous the Expedition said I was intended to accomodate me & my people & unless I have such accomodations as will enable me to take out & make use of such people as I find necessary, I will not go