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[Page 2]
Sr
As I wish well to the Business you are upon, wch I suppose is to make new Discoveries; & am a little in pain for your Success; being so far advanced in Years, as not to be able to make one of yor. Party: if I may not be thought troublesome or impertinent, I would propose a small Vessel, built here at home, so contrivd as to take to pieces - to be ship'd on board every Ship in yo.r Service wch. might be made use of as you see occasion.
This little Vessel might be of such a Size & form as to bear a Sea in a good Gale of Wind, draw but little Water, carry Men Arms, & make Soundings, so as to be the means of preserving the Capital Ship or Ships, For as I am very sensible how dangerous it is to run into Seas unknown, wch. I think I shou'd be desirous of doing, so as to answer the intent of the Voyage; so such small Vessel might be of infinite Service, especially when you came up on unknown [parts?], where you might find a safe Harbour for the Ships to [rest at?] Anchor, while the lesser Vessels were always employ'd wch. would also have a Boat big enough to save the Crew.
I am master of a little Mathematical Learning know something of the Theory of Navigation, but none of the Practice, Geography & the Use of Charts & Maps, wch. I think you must greatly improve. I dare say you will be provided with proper Persons in every Branch of Learning necessary, so as to make the Voyage of Great Service to Britain, as well as to other parts of the Earth.
I a little wonder, that I never heard of any Nutmeg Clover or Cinnamon Trees being in any parts of the Earth, but what the Dutch are in possession of wch. I have been told they in a very barbarous manner took from [there?]. By a Map of the Earth published, by Fenex & Maxwell in 1711. the Coast of Terra Del Fuego is not perfect to the Southward of Cape Horne, nor any Land described from thence to the Southward of a paralel of Lattde drawn to New Zeland, & that but little. By the same Map no Land appears from Californias to be an Island, to a Coast very imperfect discoverd by [John?] de Gama. I see that there are many small Islands in the South Sea between the Tropics, but of what Consequence, you best know. The Land discover'd by de Gama seems to correspond with the Land of Campagnia & New Zeland, between 30 & 40 degrees of Sth. Lattde with that of Van Diemens Land.