[Extract]

How hazardous soever my writing may prove at this time when Copies of Letters of Intelligence for perquisite sake are granted by Office Clerks to the great prejudice of His Majesty's faithfuI Subjects Residents on this Continent, who become a sacrifise to the resentment & chastisment of a Licentious & Rebellious Mob, yet I cant longer sit still & behold my royal Master his Lords & Parliament branded by every Reptile with the most Opprobious Epithets; Majesty has fallen so low as to be known by no other Appelation but that of a perjured Tyrant, a Popish Villan, who has broke his Corronation Oath, add to which their wish to have him here, & swear they would shorten his Ambition of Despotism By the head, had this been the Language of thoughtless Mob it may be imputed to gross Ignorance, but proceeding from the lips of those who call themselves the better Sort, must make the feelings of a person who has been a Servant of the Crown unhappy.ー

More of their barbarous & savage Jargon I shall not take up your time with, but signify as many of their Schemes & Intentions as are come to my knowledge, with a view that my Lords of the Admiralty may pursue such Measures as may counteract their diabolical Machinations, which breath neither more nor less than the avowed Principle of Republickanism; In this System of Politicks I fear they are abetted by some unfriendly Europen Power, as they boast that two of the greatest Powers of Europe have offered to supply them with Men & Necessaries of War, this in a great measure am induced to believe from the great quantity of Gun Powder smuggled lately into this Province, this Powder is sent over Land to the Rebels of Connecticut who escort it to their Brethern of Massachusetts Bay; At this time the Congress assembled here have issued Orders for building a number of Floating Batteries, constructed like Rowboats, each to caq One Cannon of 24 pound Shott in their Bows,² these are to lie in mouths of Creeks out of sight of any of His Majts Ships that may come up the River & endeavour the sinking them, some of those Floats are launched this day but continue building many more, as well several Armed Vessells of sufficient force to attack in a Body any of His Majts 20 Gunships, Sloops of War &c. that may hover about these Coasts

I am often perswaded that if Ships of War had been stationed here & some cruizing off the Capes of Delawar for the last four Months past, the Magazines of this Town & Neighbourhood would not be so full of Warlike Stores, they dread the arrival of Ships of War & are at this juncture in consultation how to form Impediments by sinking Hulks &c in the most passable Channels of this River, the Islands are to have Batteries on them, as well as the Banks and Wharffs in and near this Town; . . .