ter ▁went ▁from ▁Le ▁Hav re ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 7 8 3 ▁on ▁the ▁American ▁fr ig ate ▁General ▁Washington ▁( Capt ain ▁Josh ua ▁Bar ney ) ▁to ▁Philadelphia ▁and ▁th ence ▁to ▁South ▁Carolina , ▁Florida , ▁the ▁Bah am as ▁and ▁Santo ▁Dom ingo ▁( H isp ani ola ). ▁Besides ▁plants , ▁they ▁were ▁to ▁collect ▁animal ▁and ▁min eral ▁spec im ens . ▁Ref lect ing ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁the ▁enter prise , ▁their ▁instructions ▁gave ▁them ▁the ▁option ▁( which ▁was ▁not ▁taken ▁up ) ▁to ▁take ▁ship ▁from ▁A cap ul co ▁in ▁Mexico ▁to ▁the ▁Philippines , ▁th ence ▁to ▁the ▁S unda ▁Islands ▁in ▁the ▁Dutch ▁East ▁Ind ies , ▁the ▁coast s ▁of ▁Beng al , ▁Cor om and el ▁and ▁Mal ab ar , ▁and ▁the ▁I les ▁de ▁France ▁and ▁Bour bon ▁( M aur it ius ▁and ▁Re union ). ▁ ▁Bol ts ' s ▁approaches ▁to ▁Russia ▁and ▁Nap les ▁Bol ts ▁refused ▁to ▁give ▁up ▁on ▁his ▁hopes ▁for ▁a ▁voyage ▁to ▁the ▁North ▁West ▁coast ▁of ▁America . ▁Emperor ▁Joseph ▁II ▁released ▁Bol ts ▁from ▁his ▁oblig ations ▁( except ▁to ▁his ▁credit ors ) ▁and ▁gave ▁him ▁leave ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 7 8 2 ▁to ▁take ▁his ▁proposal ▁to ▁the ▁court ▁of ▁Catherine ▁II ▁of ▁Russia . ▁The ▁Russian ▁Court ▁proved ▁un respons ive , ▁so ▁Bol ts ▁also ▁put ▁his ▁proposal ▁before ▁the ▁court ▁of ▁Joseph ' s ▁brother - in -