[Extract]
My Lord
I hope your Lordship will excuse my not waiting upon you this Morning as I am indisposed by a violent Cold I brought with me from Ireland, the Master of the Brig instead of bringing [us] to Liverpool carried us thro' a narrow Channel between Rocks and Shoals into four mile Water near Bantrey Bay, where we had a very providential escape from being entirely Lost. That we have made the best of our way thro' Ireland to London is evident I think from this Circumstance, that a Letter I wrote to my Brother Deputy reciever of the Excise, a Day before we left Cork came to hand a Day after our arrival here. I have taken the Liberty to send your Lordship the inclosed paper in which I have related every Circumstance I can at present recollect relative to the Situation of Bermuda, & tho I omit mentioning those who have misbehaved & do wish they may repent of their Folly & by due submission prevent Correction yet I hope it will not be thought too great a Liberty to name some few who have been most active in supporting Legal Authority viz Thos Burch Esqr uncle to the Chief Justice Benjn Williams Esqr Justice of Devonshire Tribe. Capt Miller Cox of the same Tribe who has serv'd some Time in the Navy has a large Family & would make a good Customhouse Waiter. Many others I might mention, were it not that I am afraid I have been already Too tedious. I am [&c.]
No 41 Charlotte Street
Rathbone place Jany [27] 1776 —
[Enclosure]
Bermuda being situated in Lat. 32.25 N & Long 66.38 E. containing 12,000 Acres, Inhabited by 6500 Whites, & an equal number of Blacks, is an Island capable of great improvement & may be rendered of great importance in Time of War, it being in the Tract of all the West India Trade to France Spain Holland,&c. There is in this Island a spacious Harbour, capable of admitting Vessels drawing 18 or 20 Feet Water, having places convenient for heaving down careening & repairing. There is in the said Island a Number of good ship Carpenters, whose common Wages are so moderate that Ships may be repaired &cat a Third of the expence of what they can in the West India Islands. The Climate & Temparament of the Air is so excellent that were there a Hospital erected for the Sick in the Navy & Army upon the West India Station, it will in all probability be found, that with little or no assistance from Medicines they will recover more within a few Weeks than they can in the West Indies in many Months with the best attendance.
The Entrance of the above Harbour is commanded by a Fort, very advantageously situated, & which in a great measure comma'nds the whole Island; which Fort, & all the rest are in so ill a situation, & the Island left in so defenceless a State, that the Governor & the Officers of, & Friends to Government, who have been active in opposing the ill concerted Measures of certain persons, do entirely lie at the Mercy of every Armed Vessel from the Continent of America, one of those Vessels having taken 100 Blls of Powder, & there having been two Cruising off of the Island in Nov. supposed to have come with an Intention to have taken some Ordnance. But if the above Fort should be taken by an American Vessel & should they repair it & sufficiently Man it, they will be in actual possession of the Island, &there will be only a shadow of Government on behalf of his Majesty, the recovery of which may be attended with much expence, & the Loss of the Lives of many of his Majesty's good Subjects. The Burmuda Vessels are reputed the swiftest Sailing Vessels in America & consequently require an attention to be paid them lest under...
As matters are at present circumstanced in Bermuda all Vessels in his Majesty's Service, bound there should endeavour to go in at the Eastermost End, where they may have a better chance of meeting with a pilot. Capt. [John] Tallemache of the Scorpion has an excellent Black pilot on board of his Ship. The Difficulties of the Navigation to Bermuda might be easily obviated by a Light house being erected there. ー The Chief Justice, who has been of late very serviceable to the Governor, & persevered steadily in the Line of his Duty, hath been 11 yrs in that office, &; for the Trouble & Fatigue inseperable therefrom has receiv'd no other satisfaction than the pleasure of having served the Public, there being no Salary annex'd to his Office; if it should be thought expedient to assign him a small Salary a way may be pointed out by wch 100 £ p Ann. may be paid without any additional Expence to Government.
