Whitehall 21st July 1775.
My Lords,
I am Commanded by the King to signify to your Lordships His Majesty's Pleasure that in addition to the Ships of War already ordered for North America, your Lordships do send such further reinforcement to the fleet under the command of Admiral [Samuel] Graves, as the state of His Majesty's Naval Service will, in your Lordships' judgement, admit of; and that your Lordships do also prepare forthwith, & cause to be sent out to North America, such a number of flat bottomed boats, & of such a size as your Lordships shall think best adapted to His Majesty's Service in those parts.
It is His Majesty's further pleasure that your Lordships do instruct Vice Admiral Graves to examine all Letters which he may find on board any ships which he may think fit to detain, & that he do transmit to your Lordships, to be communicated to me, all such Letters as shall, in his opinion, contain any matter tending to aid, abet, or advise the rebellious proceedings of His Majesty's Subjects in North America.
And as there is ground to suspect that two Vessels that lately sailed from the Downs for Philadelphia ー Vizt the Mary & Elizabeth, Capt. [Nathaniel] Falconer, & the Pennsylvania Packet Capt [Peter] Osburn [Osborne] may have Letters from persons here in England, who secretly hold a traitorous correspondence with the Rebels, it is His Majesty's further Pleasure that Vice Admiral Graves be instructed immediately to dispatch one of the small ships of his fleet to the Delawar River with orders, that if the above two Vessels shall not have then been arrived, upon their arrival to stop &search them, & in case any Letters of such a nature and tendency, as is above described, shall be found on board, to detain all such, & carry them to the Vice Admiral, who is to transmit them in like manner to your Lordships.
I am &ca