Honble Gentn
I am just Settg off for St Mallo where Mr Williams thinks I had better spend about 3 weeks, in order to be out of the way & give time for our New Ship to be built, I shall have Capt Tanner here to overlook, as much as is Needfull, or we dare appear in — he is an Experienced Man in Ship buildg, &A Compleat Draughts Man, I shall send You the draught of the Ship, drawn by him when finished. I make not the least doubt but he will make A Good Officer, I have Promised, &he has expected, the Masters Birth, Capt Wickes &my Self have Promised Mr [Arthur] Dillaway, who went out Master of the Dolphin to get him made Lieutt the first Vacancy, Now Sir as he is A very deservg Young Man, as any in the Service, & has been in the service the whole of the War; I hope You will think him Worthy &Send me A Commission for him, as I must have 3 Lieutts to this ship, it makes A Vacancy for Capt Tanner, I will be in want of Some blank Warrants at the Same time, if You Please, I have A Prospect of gettg more men than I expected if my ship was ready I cou'd nearly man her there is many Carolina Ships here, Some of their men run away from the Randolph, Cant take them up have no Place to confine them in, when any of our Ships Arrive Can do it with Proprietay 3 of them have told me they left that Ship on acct of the sickness that was on board,
I have A Randavouse here for my People very Private, they Vitual my men for 30 sens pr man pr Day wch is cheaper than I cou'd Vitual them on board, I expect in the course of this Week to have 20 men enter, Six enter'd friday & Saturday, here is three or four Ships to Discharge their men this Week on acct of the high Wages at Carolina when they ship'd wch was 9 Guineas pr Mth, I am Gentn [&c.]
