You desire I will tell you the State of the Fleet. By what I can yet learn they are only a nominal Fleet; almost all of them came out short of their lowest Peace Compliment, and have had no Opportunity of recruiting their Numbers; so that from Death and Desertion, and other Accidents, they are reduced to a State of Inactivity. The whole of our Numbers put together would not man one half of the Ships, which are likewise in want of all Sorts of Stores and Necessaries. You may depend on it, the Remissness complained of did not arise from the Admiral, who frequently left his own Ship in too defenceless a State (in my Opinion) in order to keep his Cruisers at Sea. On the Information I have procured, I do not scruple to assure you he has been cruelly used. What we are to do who succeed I know not. Much will be expected, but little can be done. Those Ships who have cruized have suffered much, and are much dispirited. The Truth of the Case is: You in England complain of them; we in America complain as much of you: This is general. All Ranks of Officers think themselves neglected at home, and those of the Fleet have never served under the same Disadvantages they do at present. Ill manned, ill provided, ill supplied: They accuse you in England of being the Cause of their ill Success. The Ordnance Vessel, said to be taken, is, I believe, drove to the West Indies, as I cannot find any Authority to suppose she is in the Hands of the Provincials. Eight Ships are arrived that had Stock in, but they lost almost the whole on the Passage. The Arrival of a Ship, should she contain nothing, serves to enliven the Garrison, and to keep up their Spirits. We intend to form Packets for the Amusement of our Friends of the Fleet; most of which have for their Comfort the Change of Administration, and particularly that of Lord S ———— [Sandwich].