[Extract]
Dear Sir

I received yours P Capt [George] Wentworth, and was pleased to find you was well & in so good Spirits ー I am glad to hear that the Accots from France are so Incouraging ー the French seem to be in earnest, and will no doubt amply supply us with every kind of military Stores we may want the day before yesterday, we had another french Ship arrived here a good deal larger than the other ー ² she is commanded by one Colo [Thomas] Conway has on board fifty two Peices Brass Cannon ー Tents & C[l]oathing & small Arms enough for about eight thousand men, besides Powder Ball, Flints, Lead &c there is eighteen or twenty french officers come in this vessel ー they are a parcel of fine likely men, most of them near six feet high. ー I understand they are agoing to our Army ー

Capt Robt Parker, who sailed in the Ship Portsmo[uth] sent in Yesterday a Prize Brigg loaded with Beef, pork & Butter ー she was bound from Cork to the British Army ー he has captured two or three more, but they have not yet arrived he engaged two Ships for about an hour; but as one mounted 16 & the other 14 Guns & hevier Mettal than his, he was obliged to leave them in the engagemt Robt Tate was killed & another wounded they say that Parker behaved manfully & would have taken the ships by boardg them had he not have weakened himself by sendg so many of his men home in the prizes he had taken ー