Captn McNiell
Sir —

By your Letter you tax me & my Officers for not showing proper Signals last Night but I was upon Deck & made the Exa[c]t Signals you gave me which was by firing one Gun & showing three Lights which was for Tack & Sail with the Starbard Tacks on board if there is any mistake it is owing to your now [sic not] giving me a true Copy I am much supprized that you should not observe the Signals when Mr Hill² did whom I give an Exat Copy from your Signals but at the same time it cannot be suppozed that your Officers knew the Signals when they never had seen them expecting some ill consequences I desired Captn Waters to go forward to look out & had it not have been for his hailing we certainly must have been aboard of each other  you some time ago tax't me for being sparing of my Lights — I must now tax you for being sparing of your Canvas for you commonly keep a considerable distance astern atho' you was shy of our Compy. I should think it more proper especially in foggy weather when there is a good breeze of Wind that we can Command our Ships to keep within hail of each other or so near as that we can hear the Bells strike as for the Foxshe keeps so nigh that I can distinguish her Bell in the Cabin every Night as well as I can my own if you will go a head I will be bound to keep Compy with you & be close upon your Quater or so nigh that it Will be impassable to loose Each other you mention of not standing upon Sounding which I Join with you, but I think it will not be of any advantage to stand on this Tack after we break off from South, I am very Anctious to get home since I am very lame myself and destitute of Officers. In Case of Foggy Weather I think it would be necessary when the foregoing Signals is made for Tacking for the Sternmost & Weathermost Ship to Tack first & when she is about to repeat the Signal — I am sorry you met with that Accident in going aboard hope your Leg is better, am afraid I cannot wait on you next Sunday on Account of my Lameness for I am no[w] laying upon my be[am] ends & what is worse than that I cannot drink neither, Punch, Wine nor Grog—