Sir

I have the pleasure to acquaint you of my Arrival here in His Majesty's Ship Chatham the 30th past after a passage of Sixty One Days; for a Circumstantial Account of the Occurrences of Which; I beg to refer you to my Journal accompanying this Letter, in which I shall only say on that Subject; that the Voyage was almost a constant Succession of Storms and contrary Winds, attended with the most severe Weather I ever felt, which has so Shatter'd the Chatham that she must remain unfit for any Sea Service 'till she is Caulked and repaired; This I hope we shall be able to do here before she is wanted. You will see by my Journal, Sir, that the Orpheus parted Company from me in a most Violent Gale of Wind on the 21st November notwithstanding the great care and attention of Captain [Charles] Hudson, who is not yet arrived; and that Captain Munroe, Commanding the Party of Marines on board the Chatham, Dy'd the 30th of the same Month.

Immediately on my Arrival I delivered all the Packets committed to my care, to Admiral [Samuel] Graves and General [William] Howe, and communicated to the Admiral the Copys of those Letters you had furnished me with and wrote to him lately, the Originals of many of which he has not yet received, and I presume are in the Experiment and Centurion, not yet arrived; I likewise communicated to him your Letters (with the Intelligence accompanying them) Signifying their Lordships Orders to me to send Vessels of proper Force and Size to the River Delaware, to oppose the Operations the Rebels are carrying on there, and to send a Vessel to Bermuda and another to the Bahama Islands, to protect the Ordnance Stores belonging to His Majesty at those Islands, but I am glad to inform you, that Admiral Graves has certain Intelligence that the Inhabitants of [New] Providence are faithfully affected to His Majesty, and are determined, and able to defend those Stores without any Additional Force; and as soon as any proper Vessel arrives after Admiral Graves's Departure, I shall send her to Bermuda.

I was much concerned to hear on my Arrival of the Number of small Arm'd Vessels fitted out by the Rebels, and which had taken many unarmed Ones of Ours bringings Stores and Supplies to this place notwithstanding it appears to me, that our Cruizers are stationed and distributed in all the most likely places to intercept them; and that there has been no failure on the part of Our Officers; but the Success of the Rebels may reasonably be accounted for, if Their Lordships will please to consider the Advantages they have over us by being too early Suffer'd to take possession of all the Harbours, Creeks and Rivers on this Coast, many of which they have Fortify'd, and where these small Vessels Lye ready, 'till by Signals from Eminences on the shore of a Vessel in the Offin, they push out and Seize her before it is possible for our Cruizers to Relieve, or perhaps from Sholeness of the Water venture to follow her; for this reason, Sir, I beg leave to recommend it to their Lordships, that no Stores or Supplys may be sent in future except in Arm'd Vessels, which will Answer a double purpose by leaving part of their Men on their return home for the use of the Fleet, which I find is in great want, as well as the number of Ships far from Sufficient for the Various Services I am Order'd, and shall find Necessary to execute, which Their Lordships I doubt not will be convinced of by observing, that this place will in a few days be left unprotected by any other Naval Force than the Chatham and Lively Frigate under repair. Convoys are not to be depended on, for by the Fogs which prevail upon this Coast in the Summer and the Violent Northwest Winds in the Winter Seasons, it is almost impossible to prevent Seperation.

Of the Thirty five Vessels Freighted by Mure and Company with Provisions and Supplys for the use of the Fleet and Army only Eight ar Arrived, and on board those not above a Twentieth part of the Sheep were brought in Alive.

I must beg leave to refer you for an Account of the Operations and State of the Squadron, to that which I presume you will redceive from Admiral Graves by this Conveyance, He is preparing for, and intends proceeding to England in a few Days on board the Preston, I am, Sir [&c.]