After having crossed the equator into the northern parts of that ocean, he was then to hold such a course as might probably fix many interesting points in geography, and produce intermediate discoveries, in his progress northward to the principal scene of his operations.

With regard to his grand object, it was determined, for the wisest reasons, and after the most mature deliberation and inquiry, that upon his arrival on the coast of New Albion, he should proceed northward as far as the latitude of 65 deg., and not lose any time in exploring rivers or inlets, or upon any other account, until he had gotten into that latitude.
To give every possible encouragement to the prosecution of the great design in view, the motives of interest were added to the obligations of duty.

In the act of parliament which passed in 1745, the reward of twenty thousand pounds had been only held out to the ships _belonging to any of his majesty's subjects_, while his majesty's own ships were excluded.

Another, and more capital defect in this act was, that it confined the reward to such ships alone as should discover a passage though Hudson's Bay.

By a new law, which passed in 1776, both these deficiencies were effectually remedied.