[Extract]

The letter you wrote to [Thomas] Collins & the copy of the Council's order I delivered, & conversed with him on the subject ー Mr. Collins was of opinion with me, that it would be more prudent to employ some person in Phila who had been accustomed to that kind of trade than to join with the New-Castle Co. people in the expedition they then had on foot. The applying to a proper person here was lost to me before this, as soon as I got to town, I spoke to David Beveridge, who immediately told me he would undertake it provided he & the contractors could agree, which he had no doubt of & on Tuesday last, I provided an express to go to Collins at Wilmington & return on the next day, which he did ー By this express Beveridge wrote Collins the out-lines of the bargain but that they might confer more particularly desired Collins would meet him as on Thursday last at Chester. When the express returned, he showed me Collins' answer which was that he was obliged to set out on that day for Kent ー that he should be up again in 10 or 12 days ー would then endeavor to fix the matter & that from the appearance of the weather, he thought it would then be time enough. This is all I now know of the matter except that several other very good hands have since been with me to get the contract ー so that you & Collins or either of you may have a contract whenever you set about it. The night before last Capt. Nason [Thomas Mason] (who went to France in the service of the Congress) came to town. He says he came in a brig commanded by Capt. [John] Craig. That they had 7 weeks passage from Bell-isle to the coast off Egg-Harbor ー that he then came on shore & crossed the Jersey[s] to town ー That the brig stood for our Capes, that she has on board, on account of the Congress 15 tons of gunpowder, 60 tons of salt-petre & 1300 stand of excellent fire-arms & he supposes she is now safe within the Capes. ²