The Committee of Safety judging it extremely necessary that a suitable Person, with a Boat, be station'd near the mouth of the River Delaware, to give the earliest Notice of the approach of any English Ships of War that may be destin'd against this City, you are hereby appointed to that Service in Confidence, that you will exert the utmost Vigilance and Industry in procuring and forward Intelligence of this Nature.

You are therefore, without loss of Time, to take on board your Pilot Boat four Persons besides yourself, three of whom to be Men, and such as you have Reason to believe will be sober and attentive to their Duty, and proceed to the Thoroughfare below Reedy Island, which is to be your general Station, with Liberty sometimes to run down to the Thrum-Cap Road. In this Station you are to remain untill recall'd by us, observing to keep a constant Look out, both Day and Night, and setting an exact and regular Watch of two Men.

From the Receipt of Advice from Mr. Henry Fisher, of Lewis Town, or by means of Vessels or otherwise, of a Ship or Ships of War coming into the Bay, you are to come up directly to New Castle, and after lodging Information with the Commander of that Town, who will forward the Intelligence to Fort Island and to the Committee of Safety here, you are instantly to return to your Ground. But if your Advices should be of a very alarming Nature, such as the arrival of several Men of War, or if only a few, but of considerable Force as large Frigates, and you are of Opinion you could as soon, or sooner, reach Fort Island than an Express by Land, you must in that Case, besides calling at New Castle, run up in all haste to Fort Island, and on coming in Sight of the Island hoist certain Signals, which the commanding Officer of the Armed Boats there is to be made first acquainted with.

If on the contrary, the Ships should be few or but of small Force, you are not to quit your Station otherwise than in running up to New Castle as above directed, untill they heave in Sight. You are to apprise all Vessels of their Danger, unless it should oblige you to run out of your way in coming up to lose time in reaching it.

For these Services, you are to be allowed for your self, Boat and Men, Twenty five Shillings P Day.

It is impossible to instruct you how to act under particular Circumstances and Situations not forseen by us, but we depend in all these Cases upon your Zeal for the publick Service, and on your Fidelity to the [Trust] reposed in you, which you ought to consider as extremely important. We are your humble Servants,