To the Honl the Council & House of Representatives of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay ー
The Memorial of Jacob Boardman of Newbury-port sheweth ー
That your Memorialist together with several others, Inhabitants of the same Town, being anxiously concemd, lest the American Cause shou'd suffer for want of a convenient supply of the Articles necessary to make a vigorous Defence against the wicked Attempts of our Enemies, have entertaind Thoughts of sending a Vessell to some part of Europe for the purpose of procuring Gun powder & other military Stores; and they have so far prepar'd for a Voyage of this sort, as to have rais'd upwards of Two Thousand Pounds Lawfl Money, to be laid out for Articles of that sort besides a Sum sufficient to purchase a Vessell to bring it in. ー They will however, have no Desire to proceed any further in this Design, if it should be made known to them that their Endeavors in this Regard, will not probably tend to the Advantage of the Public: But if on the other hand, Your Honors shoud so consider the matter as to think fit to give them suitable Encouragement, they will proceed with Alacrity to accomplish their propos'd Plan. All which is humbly submitted, by your Honor's dutiful Memorialist
Watertown Decr 15th 1775.
