Sir

We have fully considered the contents of your letter of the 19th instant, which came by the hands of Mr. Cripps, and it is our opinion, that you ought to persevere in your endeavours to carry your contract with the Secret Committee at Philadelphia into execution; consequently we have encouraged Mr. Cripps to take every means for obtaining vessels for that purpose, and not to despond; and we are glad to learn that he has a better prospect of success than you expected.

If you cannot accomplish all that the Committee had in view, and within the precise limit of time, we recommend to you to do all that can be done, even fo the 15th of January. We do not assume a power of relaxing the terms of your engagement. We mean only to say, that, all circumstances considered, we believe that the Committee at Philadelphia will rather commend you for striving to serve the public cause, by complying with those terms as closely as the state of affairs will admit of ー on the other hand, we would not be understood as if we meant to encourage you to such a departure from your agreement as might frustrate the schemes of the Congress.

If you cannot, with an assurance of safety and success, send the whole intended quantity of gunpowder to this Province, you will send us as large a part as you can; and you may add 2,000 stands of good muskets with bayonets, 1,000 good gunlocks, and 4 brass field pieces, six pounders; on the cost of which we will allow you the rate of profit stipulated in the contract between you and the Secret Committee at Philadelphia.

We desire you will remit to us as much of the continental currency as you may have occasion to dispose of here for your intended purchases, in lieu of which we will return you our currency out of the treasury This will best please our planters; and that will best serve our purposes of recruiting and other services in North-Carolina.

We have lately written such a letter to the Committee at Beaufort, as we hope will induce them to put a stop, as far as may be in their power, to those illicit and pernicious purchases and shipments which you allude to.

By order of the Council of Safety.