Sir ー

When your sloop Polly, John Conyers, master, is fully loaded, she may proceed on her voyage, by virtue of the permit here inclosed. In the mean time you will lay before us an invoice of the cost and charges of the cargo, and you shall be paid the amount. You will give your master or other agent, orders to sell the cargo, on public account, at any foreign market where the highest price for rice, and where gunpowder and fire-arms are most likely to be obtained; and to invest the net produce of the sale in those articles in preference to every other. By fire-arms, we mean, such muskets only as are really good, with bayonets fixed. You will give a particular caution against purchasing slight ordinary pieces. Next to gunpowder and muskets, prefer saltpetre. If it shall be impossible to procure these articles for the whole of the net proceed, so much thereof as shall remain, must be disposed of in the purchase of steel, wool and cotton cards, coarse foreign cloths, blankets, coarse linens, sail cloths, Russia canvas, writing and printing paper, nails of all sorts, spades, good musket locks, pins, needles, whip-saw, handsaw and gunsmith's files; a thousand tin plates, and lastly, rum. If none of these articles are to obtained, or not in sufficient quantity, returns are to be made, in whole or in part, as the case may require, in gold, or gold and silver, and the vessel to proceed with all possible dispatch, and get into one of the inlets on this coast, which the master, from his own knowledge, and from advices which he may receive, shall judge best, and immediately after his arrival, give notice to the Council of Safety.

If gunpowder and good muskets, with bayonets fixed, and saltpetre are purchased for the proceeds of the cargo, the public will insure the vessel the voyage out and home, at the computed value of two thousand pounds currency, and allow fifty per cent. upon the net proceed of the sale or money employed in purchasing as aforesaid, which is to be in full satisfaction of all freight, commission and other charges whatsoever, except such as are incidental to the bare loading and delivery, as wharfage and porterage and unavoidable duties; and so in proportion as any part may be laid out for gunpowder, muskets and saltpetre. For other goods above enumerated, (gold and silver excepted) you will be allowed, in lieu of all freight commission and charges as above mentioned, sixty per cent.; but the vessel will not be insured by the public.

If your agent is obliged to resort to gold and silver for returns, in such case you are to be allowed a freight on the rice at four pounds Barbadoes money, per ton of 3000 lbs. net, together with commission on the invoice of rice, and the sale and incidental petit charges, and no more.

We are so very confident of your best endeavors to promote the public interest, which you understand perfectly well, as renders it unnecessary to enlarge. You will give your agent such further instructions as shall appear proper for securing a fair prospect of a prosperous voyage.

By order of the Council of Safety.

Henry Laurens, President.

Capt. Edward Blake, Charles-Town.