Respected Sir/

By Captn [Eliphalet] Roberts am Informe'd that Leut [Michael] Melally is discharged from the Oliver Cromwell and he desierd me as from Yr Honours to Nominate some one in his place Your Honour and your Honourable Commite will be pleased to here me represent Some maters which perhaps may lllucidate the Scituation of the ship. With all the Earnestness that I ware Capable of engaged a Sufficient number of Good men and Was told that every other matter should be ready to my hand, since many months agoe. Every means that Human mind can inv[e]nt has been used to perswade my Crew to leave the Ship and so far have succeded against me, as to Carry away at least one Hundred Good seamen. By the dismission of Mellally it makes a Vast Confusion on Board Party will be party ー men who are fond of Excuseing themselves Just on the Point of doing their Dutys requires great Excuses It is Unknown to me what may be Call on hereafter Sir It would please me to know What men are discharged and for what reasons, many discharge themselves to the loss of the State, by taken their own discharge when they Gett the least advantage With respect to Pay which at times it is not passable to Avoid ー my best Compliments wait on Your Honour and Counsell and if it may be sufferd that we may go to Sea Do not doubt but Shall do well, It is my Opinion that it will not be for the Best at present to Appoint any other Officers we can go to the Best advantage without Dear Sir Suffer not the Vile representations of Those who do not wish well to our sincere Cause to prejudice Your mind against my Behaviour for I am Vext If I know my own Heart. I think it an Honest one and while life remains and these times last 'tis at my Countrys service

But please Your Honour lett me say that there is one Matter which gives me great Consern, and I beg Your Honour to Consider the Vast expence the Continent is at for their Frigate, recolect the great Expence of the Forces Station'd at N London see What good they have done, and in Comparisson take a serious View of my Command and I am sure there will be a Strikeing Contrast to the Advantage of the Ship ー

I want but Bread, Wood and rum to Compleat me for a Voiage, But there is a Variety of Changes in my Men. They will Run away and I have No law to Regulate my Conduct by, The Only Means is my Own Discretion and that by some is thot imprudent But I Will do for the Best

Again amongst the Variety of Requests your Honor & Councell will note that ill men in service Whose only means are their Hands for the Support of themselves and families and being Generally Speaking in real Necessity for their Support Their Importunity is so great to Me, that my Humanity, What little I have, is Affected I Therefore must desire Your Honr & Councill to give me an Order to The Treasury to rec[i]ave One Thousand Pounds to be reciaved by Lieut [John] Smith on Account of the Ship there is more due but that will, I belive fully Answer. And it is impossab[le] to do without as my men must have it and I hope that if I don't Acot for it properly my Estate will pay it. I do Assure Your Honours is not for my own Occations but for the good of the Countrys ー

Several ships are in the offing, one in as a Flagg. I do not imagine any Danger to the Town at Present I could wish that Your Honours would give me Some perticular directions about the Boats & Small Croff that pass in and out of this Port I am with Respect [&c.]

N.B. pray let me know what P Mo I must settle wth Lt Melally at
N London March 17th 1777