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Sir  I have the Honour to acquaint You that I arrived here the 17th Instant, in His Majesty's Ship Scorpion, and according to the Orders I received from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, I have directed Mr [John] Tollemache to proceed to Boston and join You.

I have wrote to General [Thomas] Gage of what great utility it would be to His Majesty's Service if a regular and frequent Correspondence was kept up between Boston and the Southern Governments of this Continent, and how much We stood in need of a couple of Frigates, and some small Vessels on this Station; it would be a great check to Smugling which is now carried on in the most barefaced manner, both with the Dutch and French, and would give some little countenance to the Friends of Government in this Province who cannot help looking upon themselves as totally deserted. I also informed General Gage that if the Fate of this part of His Majs Dominions depended upon my procuring an Advice Boat in this Harbour, that I firmly believed I could not effect it, to so low a pass is the Authority of Government reduced in this Province Sir James Wright and Governor [Josiah] Martin will I hope join their instances to mine on this occasion, as I believe our Situation is exactly similar, and if a small Armed Vessel could be spared to be entirely under the direction of this Government to keep open the communication with Georgia and N. Carolina, it could not fail of being attended with the best consequences. I am well convinced, Sir, your known Zeal for his Majesty's Service will induce You to give us every Assistance in your power in the present critical Situation of Affairs.

N.B. Governor Martin having strongly requested that the Scorpion might call at Cape Fear in her Passage to Boston, I have desired Mr Tollemache to stop there (but for as short a time as possible) and receive Governor Martin's Dispatches.