Whereas we intend that you shall proceed in the Ship you command accompanied by H.M. Ship & Sloop named in the Margin whose Commanders are directed to obey your orders to the Coast of Africa, for the Protection and Security of the Trade of His Majesty's Subjects in those Parts, and to endeavour to take or destroy any Ships or Vessels belonging to the Rebellious Colonies in No America, or any Pirates which you may be able to come up with And whereas we have received a Memorial from the Merchants trading to Senegambia desiring Convoy for about Ten Vessels bound to that province with valuable Cargoes which are expected to be atSpithead by the middle of this month,and at the same time desiring that a ship may be appointeq to cruize upon the Coast of that province from Cape Blanco to the River Senegal to prevent illicit Trade being carried on by the Subjects of Foreign Powers at Portenderick & other ports within And that you shall take under your convoy a storeship belonging to the African Company. You are hereby required and directed to make enquiry for, and to take under your Convoy, any Trade bound to that Coast, or else where, which may be ready and willing to accompany you . . .

When you have finished the said inspection and examination, you are as long as your Provisions will admit of it, (after reserving a sufficiency to carry you to Jamaica,) to cruize between Whidaw and Cape La Ho, using your best endeavours to take or destroy any Privatiers or other Ships or Vessels belonging to the Rebellious Colonies abovementioned, and also any other Pirates which you may be able to come [up] with . . . make the best of your way to Jamaica, where you are to deliver the indosed Packet to Vice Admiral Gayton or the Commanding Officer for the time being of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels on that Station, and to follow his Orders for your further proceedings; And "Whereas the Commander of His Majesty's Sloop Weazle above mentd will be directed, after having seen a Storeship belonging to the African Company to Cape Coast Castle, to cruize between Whidaw and Cape La Ho until your arrival; or until the state of his Provisions shall make it necessary for him to quit the Coast, in order to proceed to Antigua to join Vice Admiral Young, you are, if you find him on the Coast, to direct him to continue on the said Station so long as his Provisions will admit, after reserving a sufficiency for his Voyage to Antigua . . .

And Whereas it is difficult to procure Wood and Water on some parts of ,the Coast of Africa, some of the Men belonging to His Majesty's Ships having been formerly killed, and others Wounded for attempting to supply themselves therewith, without making some acknowledgemell\t to the Natives, We do hereby empower your Purser, (and you are to direct him accordingly) to procure and carry thither Goods, such as you may judge may be most agreeable to the Natives of the Places where you may want to wood and water, not exceeding in value Ten Pounds, which the Purser is to dispose of as you shall direct, at such Places where Wood and Water cannot be got otherwise; And you are to let the Purser know that the said Goods are to be provided out of his standing Allowance of Necessary Money under the Condition of his being allowed Credit on his Accounts for such part thereof, as may be expended for the aforesaid purposes, upon his producing a Certificate under the Hand of the signing Officers of the Ship you command of the particular quantity and value of the Goods applied to that Service; and you are to cause Invoices of the Goods so provided by the Purser, to be lodged in the Office of the Commissioners of the Victualling.

And Whereas Complaints have been made that the Captains of His Majesty's Ships have made ill use of this liberty, by trading themselves on the Coast of Africa, and have even transported great Numbers of Negroes in His Majesty's Ships to the West India Islands for public Sale, to the dishonor of His Majesty's Service, the prejudice of the fair Trader, and in breach of act of Parliamt passed in the Eighth Year of King George the first, which prohibits under severe penalties, the Commanders of His Majesty's Ships to receive any Goods or Merchandize on board in order to trade with the same; We do hereby strictly require and enjoin you neither directly or indirectly to concern yourself in any sort of Trade whatsoever, as you will answer the contrary at your Peril; and in order to prevent any evasive excuses whatever hereafter, We do hereby declare, that if we get any information of any Goods, Slaves or other Merchandize of what kind soever being received on board the Ship you command in the. walof Trade, We shall esteem the same to be your own Act, and shall expect you to be accountable for it, in as much as such a Practice cannot possible be carried on without your knowledge and consent.

For the preservation of the health of your Ship's Company whilst you shall be on the Coast of Africa, You are to be careful to observe the folowing Instructions Vizt

1st ー Never to lie 24 Hours in any River except Gambia and Sierra Leon, nor to suffer your Officers or Men to lie on shore or to drink Palm Wine.

2d ー You are not to let your Men cut Wood or do any work on shore which the Natives can be hired to do for a small Expence.

3d ー When any of your Men are on the recovering hand from Sickness, you are to cause them to be excused from Duty as much as possible, until they are perfectly recovered.

In case of the Death of any of your Officers during such time as you shall not he under the command of a Superior or Senior Officer, You are to appoint such other Persons to act in their room, as by the quality of their employment ought to succeed therein.

And in case of your inability by Sickness or otherwise, to execute these Instructions, you are to be careful to leave them with the next Officer in command to you, who is hereby empowered to carry the same into execution. Given &c the 11th February 1777.

Captn Stott Minerva ー Spd
By &c PS.