May it Please Your Excelcy

Yeasterd in the fore Noon gott the Ship within the Chain and Moored her, whare She is ready to Bring Springs on her Cables and Act in the de­fence of this place

I went on Shore as soon as in my power, to inform my Self of the Situation of the Galley's and made the Capts of them Acquainted with Your Instructions to me, and Afterwerd then of Every Assistance in my power to give them; Capt Mathew's of the lndependince have forty five men with Officers On board, with Every thing Necesserey Excepting Gun's, and I purpose to Suply him with gun's for his Want from the Defence, and Shall gett two Twelve poundrs from the point tomorrow in the After Noon, Only Waites for the Carriages to be finished, they have Only Six Eighteen poundrs att the fort which I think full little a Nuff for that place. Majr Smith offerd to Spair two, Should I think it nessesserey but Shall refane takeing of aney till I have the pleasure of hearing from You, the Majr in­form'd me of plenty of Large Shott in this place in different hands which he purposes haveing colected togither, but no Small Shott for grape or Cross Barr, Capt David's Galley I Expect will be gott read[y] in two day's from this, he Say's, that he has not a hove Six men Exclusive of Officers,

I have inclosd you the Seatuation of Capt Walkers Galley² taken from the Officer Onboard; she is badly Calculated. for a Galley, and Cant fight Larger Gun's foreward for her Bow Gun's, then Six or foure pounders, and have no ports in her Stern for Gun's, so that she is of littly use as a Galley, and I think will not be gott ready in Less then Eight or teen day's, the men Onboard of her to be put onboard of One of the Other Galley's, and what men I Can Spair from the Ship will Man David's & Mathew's Compleatly and those two may be ready in three day's, I am informd by Capt Mathews that De Course have fifty men at Chester, if not wanted there they would be Serviceable here. I have the Honr to Be Your Exelcys [&c.]