[Extract]

My Lord,  I have the honor to inform your Lordship that I received your several Dispatches by the Sandwich Packet yesterday, through the hands of Captain [John] Tollemache Commander of His Majesty's Ship Scorpion, who has touched here on his way from Charles Town to Boston, for the purpose of delivering them and giving me opportunity to communicate with General Gage which I have long wished for in vain, no mode of communication by sea having been yet Established by the Admiral or General, while all intercourse with them by land is entirely cut off, by the vigilance of the Committees appointed all over the Continent, which no Messenger or letter can escape, an omission greatly to be lamented, as it may be attended with the worst consequences to His Majesty's Service . . . I cannot adequately express to your Lordship the indignation I felt on hearing from Captain Tollemache at the time of his delivering your Lordship's Dispatches to me that they had been violated before they came to his hands by the Mob at Charles Town, which was certified upon the covers by Mr Roupell the Deputy Post Master General there, in these words, "Opened by the Committee of Inspection at Charles Town, G. Roupell. . . ."

I have engaged Mr Alex Schaw whom I have now the honor to introduce to your Lordship to charge himself with this Letter, and my Dispatch No 34. This Gentlemen, I can assure your Lordship with the utmost confidence, is qualified by his intelligence, his candour and his accurate observation, during some months that he has resided in this Colony, to give your Lordship every information that you can desire relative to its present condition and circumstances . . . nothing remained but that I should engage Captn Tollemache to stay 48 hours beyond the time he had appointed for his departure for my Dispatches and Mr. Schaw's necessary preparation, which that officer most politely agreed to at my request to do, since it would in my opinion be for the advancement of His Majesty's Service.²