[Extract]

My Lord I have the honor to inform Your Lordship that I received on the 28th day of last month from the Post House in Wilmington a Packet from Your Lordship's Office, bearing the most palpable evidence of violation and no Post mark whatever, but (Hampton 25/6) written on the upper corner of the cover. This being the name of the first town within the Capes of Virginia, I am led to conclude, that the Packet I have received is part of what Your Lordship taught me to expect by Your last dispatches by a store Ship that was about to sail for that Province, which being there put on shore has fallen into the hands of the Committees who have transferred it from one to the other after purloining it of what they have thought meet, until it has been finally deposited in the Post Office at Wilmington, as it carries no marks of the intermediate Post Offices at Norfolk Suffolk Edenton and New Bern. I shall use my utmost endeavours to discover by what means and through what channel this Packet came to the Post Office at Wilmington, and if I am able to ascertain that point, of which I own I have no great hopes, it may be possible to trace back its whole progress to the first violation.

I flattered myself that my representations to Your Lordship of the violences which had been done by Congresses and Committees throughout this Continent would have arrived timely to prevent Your Lordship trusting Your Dispatches to any other conveyances than the Packets to South Carolina the ordinary Channels of Your Lordship's correspondance, (whose letters for me are lodged by my directtion, on board The King's Ship there) or by his Majesty's Ships bound thither, or to this Port.

The Scorpion Sloop of War arrived here yesterday from Boston,² and brought me letters of old date from General Gage discouraging my expectations of any aids from him. This Ship is come to relieve the Cruizer Sloop which is certainly in too bad condition to proceed to Boston at this Season of the year, and is necessary as well as The Scorpion, and may be usefully employed here to guard against the introduction of wilitary Stores that I learn are very deficient among the Rebels here who are in constant expectation of Supplies by Vessels which have been sent for them. these circumstances I have represented to Captain Thornborough at Charles Town, who is the Commanding Officer of The King's Ships in the Southern Provinces at present, and I hope he will order things accordingly. I have also advised that a Transport, which General Gage has sent here under Convoy of The Scorpion, to remove the Artillery from Fort Johnston, should remain here 'til the Spring, after receiving those Stores on board, as her return to Boston at this time of the year, will be very hazardous, and uncertain.