General No 1

You are hereby required and directed Timely to Demand from the Contractors of Victualling his Majesty's Ships and Vessels (or their Agents) in these parts, all such Provisions as you may want; and are to receive the same from the said Contractors or their Agents accordingly. & to be especially carful not to take on board at any one time more Provisions than shall be necessary for the Service whereon you may be employed, and in Case you should be Ordered to England you are on no Account, to take in more provisions than will compleat what you may have on board, to three Months of all Species, at whole Allowance; upon penalty of making good what Damage his Majesty may sustain thereby.

You are hereby directed and required, not to spare any of his Majestys Stores, to any Merchant Ship or Vessel whatsoever, unless it shall evidently appear, that the ship or Vessel is in the utmost distress for the want thereof, and that she cannot possibly be otherwise Supplied; and that his Majesty's Ship under your Command can spare the same without inconvenience; and in such Case you are not to take Bond for Delivery of like Species, but are to take care that the Party does either pay for the same on the spot, or else give sufficient Security that it shall be punctually paid to the Treasurer of the Navy in England: And you are by the first opportunity to transmit to the Navy board an Account of what Stores you have spared, to whom, and the particular reasons that induced you to do the same; together with one part of the Security taken by you for the Payment; and you are likewise to deliver to me a like Account for my information therein.

And Whereas Cleanliness so very essential to the health of the Companies of his Majesty's Ships employed in the West Indies ought to be particularly regarded, you are required and directed to give strict Orders to your several Officers, that whenever the Weather will permit they see his Majesty's ship washed and Cleaned between Decks, the Hammacoes sent up to be aired; and that the Men do constantly keep themselves clean, which may in a great Measure, be the means of preserving their health and lives.

You are further required and directed on your different Cruizes and as often as you may be at any of the Ceded Islands, &c. to cause accurate Surveys and Charts to be made of the said Coasts with exact Plans of the Ha,rbours of such of them as have not already been Surveyed by Order of the Admirals [Joseph] Tyrrel, [Thomas] Pye, [Thomas] Mann, or [William] Parry, Noting the Soundings, Currents, Tides &c. comformable to the printed Instructions you have received on that head, and you are to send the said Charts and Plans when finished to me, in order to their being transmitted to the Admiralty by the first safe conveyance that offers.

Whenever his Majesty's Ship under your Command happens to be at English Harbour, you are to assist the Naval Officer there with as many Men as you can spare, for repairing the Careening Wharf, Storeshouses &c. and converting such old and decayed stores as are convertable, to any use for his Majesty's Service abroad.

General (No 2)

In pursuance of Sundry representations from the Commissioners of his Majesty's Navy, to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty their Lordships Orders to me, in consequence thereof:

You are to take notice that none of his Majesty's Ships under my Command, will be allowed to be Cleaned and refitted more than once a year, and such works will only be done to them which appear to be absolutely necessary; And no Bills will be allowed for any Works done between one cleaning and refitting and another unless some unavoidable Accident makes the same absolutely necessary; that nothing will be admitted as such, but springing a Leak or carrying away a Mast or Masts.

And the said Commissioners having likewise represented that the Expence of Cordage and Stores of all Sorts appears to them to be so very great that they cannot help entertaining an Opinion that the carelessness in the use and management of them and that Riggers often Condemned when it might last much longer. You are therefore hereby strictly required and directed to be very careful in the management of the Cordage and Stores of all Sorts, belonging to the Ship under your Command, and to use the utmost good Husbandry in the Expenditure of them.

And you are on no Account to bear a Pilot on the books of the ship you Command, except when you are under Orders to proceed to Sea; and the Service you are Ordered on makes the same absolutely necessary.

General (No. 3)

Mr. Secretary Conway (One of his Majesty's late principal Secretaries of State) having transmitted to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, in his Letter dated the 18th. of November 1765 Communicated the Minute of the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury relative to the Importation of Bullion into his Majesty's Colonies in Foreign Bottoms &c. You are hereby required and directed in pursuance of his Majesty's pleasure, Signified by Mr. Secretary Conway, in his aforesaid Letter, to omit nothing in your power to establish the regulations contained in the said Minute; (a Copy whereof is enclosed) which are found to be so essentially advantageous to the Trade of the Colonies as well as the Kingdom of Great Britain.

General (No. 5)

Intelligence having been received that a very illicit Trade has of late been carried on from St. Eustatia and other Dutch Settlements to his Majesty's Colonies in America: You are hereby required and directed in pursuance of the Kings pleasure Signified to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty by the Earl of Rockford, one of his Majesty's principal Secretarys of State, in his Letter of the 26th. January 1775, to be particularly attentive to the above object, and you are hereby Ordered (when Cruizing with the ship you Command on such Station as shall be allotted you) to intercept and Seize any British or Foreign Ships which may be found carrying on an illicit Trade, and which may have on board prohibited Goods, Merchandize, or Warlike Stores, destined to his Majesty's Colonies in America, taking care to behave with necessary moderation and prudence in the execution of this Service.

But his Lordship having by His Majesty's Command further acquainted the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, in his Letter of the 20th February last; that it is only intended that such Foreign Ships should be examined and Seized as may be found hovering about his Majesty's Colonies in America; or within two Leagues from the Land belonging thereto; but that no Foreign Ships shall be examined and Seized on the High Seas at more than two Leagues distance from the Land, unless the Commander of his Majesty's Ships shall have some particular well found information of any Foreign Ships or Vessels having on board prohibited Goods and Merchandize, or warlike Stores destined to the above Colonies: And that these restrictions however are only meant with regard to Ships or Vessels of Foreign Nations, and not to extend to those belonging to his Majesty's Subjects, either in Europe or America, which may be found at Sea, coming from St Eustatia or other Foreign Ports in America, destined to any of his Majesty's Colonies or Plantations with prohibited Goods or Warlike Stores.

You are therefore hereby further required and directed to take particular Care that his Majesty's intention with respect to the examining and seizing Foreign Ships and Vessels under the above Circumstances be strictly and practically complied with.

The Respective Captains, of his Majesty's Ships Portland Argo Hind and the Lynx and Pomona Sloops.