It was now enacted,--'That if any ship, belonging to any of his majesty's subjects, or _to his majesty_, shall find out, and sail through any passage by sea, between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; in _any direction_, or parallel of the northern hemisphere, to the northward of the 52 deg.

of northern latitude, the owners of such ships, if belonging to any of his majesty's subject, or _the commander, officers, and seamen of such ship belonging to his majesty_, shall receive, as a reward for such discovery, the sum of twenty thousand pounds.' That every thing might be done which could facilitate the success of the grand expedition, Lieutenant Pickersgill was sent out, in 1776, with directions to explore the coast of Baffin's Bay; and in the next year, Lieutenant Young was commissioned not only to examine the western parts of that bay, but to endeavour to find a passage on that side, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

Nothing was performed by either of these gentlemen that promoted the purposes of Captain Cook's voyage.
Two vessels were fixed upon by government for the intended service; the Resolution and the Discovery.

The command of the former was given to Captain Cook, and of the other to Captain Clerke.

To the Resolution was assigned the same complement of officers and men which she had during her preceding voyage; and the only difference in the establishment of the Discovery from that of the Adventure, was in the single instance of her having no marine officer on board.
From the time of the two ships being put into commission, the greatest degree of attention and zeal, was exerted by the Earl of Sandwich and the rest of the board of admiralty, to have them equipped in the most complete manner.