Gentlemen/

The Commissioners of the Navy Board having Established a Public Ship Yard, & Rope walk in the State of South Carolina, and haveing given Directions for the Building a Galley for the Defence of the State & the protection of Trade, not being able to get Sufficient Workmen here to Execute the Business with Dispatch, they will be very much Obliged to you if you will Endeavour to Engage and send here as soon as possible Twelve good Ship Carpenters with an Experienced Foreman, One Ship Joyner, and One good Block Maker, on the most reasonable Terms you can, to serve Twelve Months after their arival at Charles Town, their wages to Commence the day of this Agreement² — We have now Employ'd in the Ship Yard Eighteen Carpenters which were Returning from Georgia to Philadelphia they were Engaged in Philada. for the State of Georgia at Thirty Dollars P Month Each, their wages to Continue [until] they have returned Home - in Order to Induce them to stay here [three] Months³ which was the Longest time they would Engage for, We gave them forty Dollars P Month, and One Ration and a half a Man P-bay, and to Continue their pay till they return to Philadelphia, should they Incline to do so at the End of three Months — We are Hopeful that you will be able to Engage on Better Terms, at least so as to Ease this State of any expence, after they leave the Service, we would recommend that each of them should furnish his Own Tools if such men can Conveniently be got, as such Articles are become very scarce and of Course very dear in this State—

We shall be much Obliged to you to furnish us with all such regulations respecting the Continental Navy, as will be of any particular Service to regulate the Navy of this State, as we are very desireous to have the Navy of this State under as good Regulations and on as respectable a Footing as any Other Navy in America — by Order of the Board I am Gentlemen Your Most Obedt. Hble Servt.