Sir ー

I think it my duty to acquaint your Excellency that in compliance with your instructions I proceeded as far as Annapolis Royal in my way to St John's River that during the course of seventeen days I repeatedly attempted to cross the Bay of Fundy but was each time drove back into the Basin of Annapolis by contrary winds ー that as the beginning of the Winter had been uncommonly severe from violent gales of wind blowing from the North East ー to the North West which had occasioned repeated Snow Storms and an intense frost ー which, from the best information I could receive, wuld render the navigation of the River St John's impracticable till the middle of January ー I found it impossible therefore any further to attempt to penetrate to the Settlements of the Indians on St. John's River and accordingly I left Annapolis on the 28th of Novr and returned to this place last night ー

I think it also my duty to acquaint your Excellency that in compliance with your request ー I made it my constant employment, when on my journey to, & from Annapolis, to converse with many of the Inhabitants of the several Townships through which I passed ー in order to discover their Principles ー Views ー Sentiments ー Wishes ー Hopes ー & Fears ー

Very sorry am I to report on this occasion that their Principles are Republican ー

Their Views, to subvert the English Constitution in this Province ー

Their Sentiments, taken generally, are, that there is too much power vested in the Governor, and speaking consequent[ly upon] Principles, they assert, that all his authority should [line missing].

Their Wishes are, that the Rebels of New Hampshire, and New England may invade this Province in the ensuing Spring ー

Their Hopes are, to profit by the confusion which they imagine will be the necessary consequence of the Invasion ー

Their Fears are, least by mistake they should join the weaker Party & suffer with them accordingly ー

Early in the Summer they refused to send any Provisions or Vegetables to the Troops in Boston ー they declared that they never would grant the least assistance to the Army which was endeavouring to inslave their friends & Relations, meaning the Rebels, the people of New England, & New Hampshire ー

But when the Tartar Frigate was stationed at Annapolis, the Senegal in the Bay of Fundy ー and the Merlin in the Bas[in] of Minas ー & seeing no probability of the Rebels making a descent into this Province ー they immediately dispatched m[any] Sloops & Schooners laden with Provisions to Boston for which they received exorbitant prices ー

Yet they always abused the Masters of these Sloops & Schooners on their return to this Province, affirming that they were enemies to their Relations of New England, by selling to the Troops in Boston the very articles with which they had intrusted them to sell ー alledging that they should not have gone to Boston with the Provisions because they were Natives of New England ー

I can assure your Excellency, upon my Honor, that in all the conversations which I had with several English Men settled in Windsor ー Horton ー Cornwallis ー Cumberl[and] & Granville Townships they universally agreed ー that all [line missing] & Connecticut were attached to the Cause of the Rebels in New Englandthat in every Township where the greater number of Settlers were Natives of New England, they were always endeavo[r]ing to infuse their own Principles among all the other Settlers, of what Country soever ー that they frequently declared, when heated in Argument ー or intoxicated with liquor ー that they would sooner kill an English Man than a Dog, and uttered many other Expressions equally base and inhuman in order to intimidate them ー

Several of the English Settlers therefore earnestly desired Me to sollicit your Excellency to use your Influence with the Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Troops at Boston ー that a respectable Force may be sent as early as possible in the Spring ー to Annapolis ー Cumberland, ー & Windsor ー in which Case they asserted that they would repair to those respective Detachments on the first Alarm of an Invasion ー ready to obey the Orders of the Officers respectively commanding ー

As this is a Measure essentially necessary to the Safety of this Province, I think it incumbent on Me to request, that your Excellency may be pleased to grant the Petition of these EnglishMen ー they are loyal ー they are attached to their Country ー I sincerely believe that they will fight in defence of it ー Before I conclude this letter I think it necessary to observe that, as the Inhabitants of this Province are chiefly composed of the Natives of New Hampshire ー New England ー & Connecticut ー whose Relations are now in actual Rebellion ー and as the same Principals reign [line missing] It would be imprudent in the highest degree to embody the Militia, even on an actual Invasion ー

As nineteen out of twenty are Natives of New England, New Hampshire, or Connecticut, what dependence or reliance could your Excellency have in such Troops?

To put a Confidence in such Fellows, would be acting like the Man who cherished a Snake in his bosom, till heated with the warmth of his blood, it bit him to death.

I have the honor to be with great respect Sir [&c.]