[Admiralty Office] 6th Sepr 1775
Sir
I have received and communicated to my Lords Commissrs of the Admty your Letters of the 16th & 18th of July, giving account of your proceedings up to that time; And in return I have the satisfaction to acquaint you that their Lordships very well approve thereof.
Their Lordships had previous to the receipt of the abovementioned Letters, signified to Capt. Montagu, their approbation of his having sent to England the Magdalen Schooner with Lord Dunmore's dispatches, as they were represented to him to be, and really were of great importance: But their Lordships command me to acquaint you that they entirely concur with you in opinion that it is a precedent which ought not to be drawn into practise; and that no part of your Squadron should at any time be sent to England at the requisition of any of the Governors of His Majts Colonies, without your orders, unless the service be of a very pressing nature and no Vessel can be hired in which an Officer might carry dispatches not safe to be trusted with the Master; And their Lordships recommend it to you to signify the same to the respective Officers of your Squadron; They having on their part desired the Earl of Dartmouth to take the Kings pleasure for writing to the several Governors to the same effect:
The Lizard sailed from Spithead the 16th Ultimo, with the Jacob Storeship laden with Arms and Military Cloathing & Stores for Quebec, as did the Actaeon from the Downs on the 24th with the Maria Storeship, laden in like manner for Virginia; But the latter (the Actaeon) having unfortunately struck upon the Shingles it will be necessary to examine her bottom before she proceeds to Sea. Their Lordships have therefore ordered the Liverpool to convoy the Maria Storeship to Virginia, and perform the Service, specified in the inclosed Copy of her Orders, instead of the Actaeon, which will have her damages made good, and be sent to join you at Boston as soon as possible. The Roebuck is ready and will sail with the first opportunity of Wind & Weather to Halifax with Commissioner Arbuthnot, and from thence as soon as she has landed him, to Boston; The Centurion, Experiment & Renown, and some others of the Ships mentioned in my last Letters are in great forwardness and will soon follow.
My Lords have since I wrote to you last ordered the Boreas & Triton of 20 Guns each, to be fitted out to join you. And it is their intention to send two more 50 Gunships, two Bombs, and as many more Frigates as can conveniently be got ready to reinforce you early in the Spring.
When these Reinforcements arrive, you will have a very numerous Fleet under your command, Their Lordships therefore recommend it to you in the mean time to consider and to let them know as soon as you have an opportunity, whether the addition of an Hospital Ship, will be of advantage to the Service and if you think it will, whether any of the Transports at Boston can be fitted for that purpose, and whether you have a sufficient number of Surgeons, or Surgeon's Mates to put on board her, or what supply of them you shall want to have sent from hence
Their Lordships taking into consideration the difficulties of obtaining fresh Provisions for the Crews of the Ships under your command, as well as for the men who may be sick in the Hospital, have directed the Commissrs for Sick & Hurt Seamen to send to Boston by the first opportunity, Five Thousand Pounds weight of Portable Soup, consigned to you, to be served on board the Squadron to the men in health, as well as those who may be sick as you shall have occasion; Their Lordships have also directed them to send One Thousand Pounds Weight of the said Soup for the use of the Hospital at Boston, and Two hundred Pounds weight for the use of the Marine Infirmary there. Their Lordships moreover intend to order the Commissrs for Victualing to send from time to time to Boston, a Vessel laden with Potatoes & Carrots for the use of the Fleet, And they recommend it to you to consider whether it might not contribute greatly to the keeping the men in health if you were to send at proper seasons a sm2.ll Vessel to the Bahama Islands for Turtles, Oranges, Limes & Shaddocks, & such other refreshments, as may be procured there. I am &c
Sent the 9th Sepr by the Phoenix