Sir./.

Herewith you'll receive Duplicates of my Dispatches of the 16th November last. The 6th of Decr I had the Honor of receiving their Lordships Original orders for Employing the Racehorse & Badger as Sloops, instead of Cutters, and to use my best endeavours either to take or destroy such of the American Continental Frigates as might appear within the limits of my Station, duplicates of which I acknowledg'd the receipt of in my last letters. likewise your four letters dated the 5th & 7th Septr, the First, acknowledging the receipt of mine of the 13th & 14th June & 2nd July, with an Account of the proceedings of the Squadron under my Command and of its meeting with their Lordships approbation, which makes me very happy, as also their Permission to put the Florida Surveying Sloop on the same establishment as the Arm'd Schooners. The Second, signifying their Lordships directions to grant a sufficient Convoy to two Ships, laden with Amunition & Goods suitable to the Indian Trade from hence to Pensacola, which I had before .comply'd with from the Masters Solicitations, thinking it of the utmost concequence their safe arrival and beg leave to acquaint their Lordships that the 29th of Nov: the Atalanta Captain [Thomas] Lloyd, Sail'd with them, and a Vessel with Provission for the use of the Army & Navy.

The Third, informing me of their Lordships intention of appointing a Convoy to see the Trade to Jamaica the Middle of October, And the Fourth inclosing an Extract from the Log Book of one of the Ships, which Sail'd under Convoy of the Antelope the 17th June, signifying their Lordships directions to enquire [into] what is therein alleged, and to transmit an Account thereof to you for their information, which I have accordingly done, and beg leave to inclose Copy of Captn [William] Judds letter, with Copies of the Papers refer'd to in it, amongst which is the Affidavit of [the] Master of one of the Vessells, that Sail'd in that Convoy, from which & from the Accounts, I have had. from the Officers of the Antelope, I am perfectly satisfied that Captain Judd, used every means in his power to keep the Fleet together, and that their Seperateing was entirely occaise'd by the Inattention of the Masters of the Merchant Ships, who have always been remarkable for such behaviour. In the Course of my Service, I have been with many Convoys, and have always found them Refractory, and will beg leave to give their Lordships one instance of it. After the Reduction of Guadalupe, I came home with the Convoy, and form'd a Squadron of Four Leagues, with Men of War Station'd in the Van & Rear & in all Quarters to keep the Fleet together, notwithstanding which they Scatter'd, and in particular one Ship I hail'd, and order'd to keep a Stern of me, and told the Master, if ever I saw him again before my Main Chains, I would sink him, His Answer was "He wish'd I would, as his Ship was Old, and in Government Service, and they must give him another"

I beg leave to acquaint their Lordships that Lieut Edwd Egerton of the Marines onboard the Atalanta died a few days before she Sail'd, and that I have appointed Mr Wm Patten a Midshipman belonging to the Antelope, to Act in that Capacity, being inform'd their Lordships had promoted him to a Lieutenancy in that Corps, and am to beg they'll be pleased to give directions for his Commission being sent out to him.

In my letter of the 4th Nov. I inform'd their Lordships of the Badgers Sailing for Pensacola to relieve the Diligence. On the 31st of October in Latt. 24..30 No she met with a very hard Gale of Wind, which obliged her to return to Jamaica and on the 28th of November, with great difficulty, by constantly Pumping & Baleing got safe in I have had her Damages repair'd and she is now, in as good Condition as when I purchas'd her.

The Porcupine Schooner, arrived the 15th of last Month, from the Grand Caymans. Lieutenant [James] Cotes, having recover'd all the Sambla Indians Sold there, which gives great Satisfaction to the Merchants Trading to that part of the World, as those Indians had began to make Reprisals on them, for the loss of their Wives & Children, as the American Privateers are very numerous about here, I have added ten Men to the Porcupines Complement, the better to enable her to cope with them, which I hope their Lordships will approve.

When I received their Lordships orders respecting the Racehorse & Badger, altho' they were both out on a Cruize, I immediately appointed Captains [Thomas] Cadogan & [Charles Holmes] Everitt to them, with other Officers, the Badger meeting with the Accident in her Passage to Pensacola & returning gave Captain Everitt an oppertunity of taking the Command of her, who otherwise was intended to have gone in the Atalanta to Join her.

The Racehorse is not yet arrived and I am too much afraid h[as] fell into the Hands of the Rebels, as Lieutenant [William] Jones, has sent in Three Prizes, which much weaken'd him, and when the last parted with him, he was chased by a Brig of 16 Guns, which was very near up with him, and which he had not sufficient Strength to oppose.² shou[ld] it be the case, I propose replaceing her with another Vessell, which I shall appoint Captain Cadogan to, as the privateers are very numerous in those parts.

I have received a Letter from the Principal Inhabitants of the Bay of Hondoras, informing me of their having no just cause of complaint against their Neighbours the Spaniards, But that of their continuing to inveigle away, and receive their Slaves, which I before represented to their Lordships, who inform'd me, they had communicated my Letter to the Secretary of State for the Kings information.

I beg leave to inclose for their Lordships information a Copy of an Agreement made between the Commissioners of the Victualling and John Straw, of London, und[er] the direction of my Predecessor Sir George Rodney, for Erecting a Watering Place, with a Wharf &c for the use of His Majestys Navy at Jamaica, wherein 'tis specified that the said John Straw, shall have Liberty at all times when the same shall be no Obstruction or Impediment to the Kings Service, to Ship off from the said Wharf, any thing he may think proper; without paying any Consideration for the same, and that he, or his Agents shall have the free & uninterrupt'd use of the said Wharf, and its Engines &c, for the purpose of shipping from thence Ballast, Bricks &c, and other equally cumbersome Articles, But if it shall appear that the powers & privileges given by the abovemention'd Article, shall any way impede His Majestys Service, or that the said John Straw, or his Agents, shall receive little, or no benefit by such privileges, & that the same shall be certified to the Commander in Chief, for the time being, & made duly appear that then another good~ proper, & sufficient Wharf shall with all convenient speed be Erected at the sole Cost of the King, for the seperate use of the said John Straw, for the purposes already mentione'd equally as Commodious or Convienient as the Wharf now built there, & the said Wharf to be for ever supportd and kept in repair at the expence of the Crown, Or that a Sum of Money shall be paid to the said John Straw, equal to the expence of Erecting such a Wharf.

Inclosed is also a Petition from Malcolm Laing, & Lewis Cuthbert Esqrs Attomies for Mr Straw, claiming the privileges granted them by the Agreement, But as they find it will be more to the Intrest of Mr Straw, to accept a Sum of Money, instead of having a Wharf built at the expence of the Crown, request that I would certifie, to my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and the Commissrs of the Victualling, that the said John Straw, from the Articles of Agreement is well entitled to have a Wharf Erected for his seperate use, at the sole expenc~ of His Majesty, Or, to a Sum of Money that shall be deem'd Equivalent to the Expence of erecting such Wharf, and that the said John Straw, will immediately on receiving such Consideration relinquish all right & interrest [to] the present Aqueducts & Wharf also to the Water, so that the same shaU be held, for the sole use of His Majesty, his Heirs, & Successors for the purpose of supplying Water for the Navy. I therefore think it would be for the good of the Service (as Mr Straw is entitled to every thing mention'd in the Agreement) to give him a consideration to relinquish his right, rather than to build him a Wharf, which would always be attended with great Expence to keep in repair and at the same time be an Impedient to the Ships Wateri[ng] as it must interfere with the Wharf at present Erected, as being always in use, which I submit to their Lordships considera[tion] and have also by this Oppertunity wrote to the Victualling Board on the same Subject.

With respect to the Ships & Vessells under my Command I beg leave to acquaint their Lordships that since my last, they have sent in Fifteen Sail, which makes in the whole Seventy Six.

The Antelope, in her last Cruize is so exceedingly shook, that w[ere] I to Employ her any more, in Cruizing, she would not be able to proceed to England, at the expiration of my Station, But to ease her, I have given directions for the Quarter Deck Guns, & the two Fore & Aftermost upon the upper Deck, to be retum'd into Store, and intend her going to the Wharf in March, when I shall have her fitted in the best manner possible, to carry me Home.

The Boreas, having touched on Mayaguan;;i. Shoals, damaged her False Keel, and being upwards of a twelve Month off the Ground I have order'd her to be Careen'd.

On receiving information of the undermention'd Privateers vizt Two Briggs, One of Fourteen the other of Sixteen Guns, with a hundred Men, Two Sloops, one of Six, the other of Four Guns, and a Virginia Pilot Boat, with twenty five Men & Swivels, being Cruizing off the Isles of Vashe & Altevetta, to intercept the Convoy expected from England, I have order'd the Maidstone Capfn [Alan] Gardner, to Cruize for them, to inform them of their danger, and to return with them to Port Royal, she was intended to have gone with the Convoy from hence, but on receiving this information, I thought it best, to send her, for the protection of that expected, but from the best Accounts I have been able to gain, from the principal Merchants, find there will not be above, two or three Ships at most, ready to Sail Before the latter end of next Month, so that she'll be able to perform both Services. The Winchelsea, arrived a few days since, I have given directions for her being fitted, with the utmost dispatch and propose sending her after the Maidstone for the protection of the Convoy. The Badger, & Porcupine both Sail'd the Latter end of last Month, with some Rum Vessells bound to New York, for the Army, which they were to see 40 Leags clear of the Windward Passage, then to return & Cruize off Hennea[y] and the Little Caicos's, with the usual orders.

The 4th of last Month the Brig Thomas & Betsy Charles Edwards Master, from London bound to New York, with Provisions for the use of the Navy, arrived here, but was not ready on the 29th to take benefit of the Badgers Convoy, owing to the Masters Negligence he told some of his acquaintan[ces] that it was a bad time of the Year, to go upon the Coast of America, and that he thought himself very Snug, where he was. I have wrote to the Commis[srs] of the Victualling, in order that they may make a deduction from his Agreement, and that Government may not be imposed on, and as soon as I can spare a Vessell, will send [o] ne to see him through the Passage.

Inclosed is a List of Officers made, and am [&c.]

[Endorsed] Recd & Read 12 Mar [1777]. Ansd 2d April