At a Meeting of the Governor and Council of Safety,
[Lebanon] Saturday, 3d February, 1776.
Moved by the Governor by motion to him from [Deputy] Gov. [Matthew] Griswold that some encouragement should be given to enable Mr. [David] Bushnell to pay expences incurred in preparing his machine for the design projected &c., and to carry forward the plan &c.&c., it appearing to be a work of great ingenuity &c., and a prospect that it may be attended with success, and being undertaken merely to serve the public, and of considerable expense to labour &c., its tho't reasonable that something should be done &c.
Voted and ordered, That the Treasurer pay and deliver to his Honor the Deputy Governor the sum of sixty pounds, to be by him improved for the use of the Colony and the public according to instructions from this Board.
Pass'd an account of Capt. [Seth] Harding, for service in going round the sea coast, to see about buying or building a ship for defence &c., at 6s. per day and expences, £2 17 0