Hon^ble Gentlemen

I Beg leave to Acquaint you, that when the Ships henneritta¹ & Three Friends² Arrived in this port, the former without any papers, Captain Brown who commanded her told me he knew not the Contents of the Cargo or to whome it was to be delivered. But supposed it principally belonged to the hon^ble M^r. Morris,³ and having orders to receive any Goods that might Arrive here on his Account, I took Charge of them, The Other ship Arriving a few days After, the Supercargo⁴ told me, the Goods ship'd by M^r. John Ross at Rochfort were on the same Acco^t. with those ship'd by Brown, and delivered them Also into my Charge. they are safely stored. I imediately On the Arrival of the Vessels Advis'd M^r. Morris therewith,⁵ Supposing the Cargoes were on his private Account, But long Ere this it is known by the hon^ble Commercial Board,⁶ for whose Account those Goods were ship'd, As the Three Friends brought the Duplicates of the heneritta's Invoices &^ca. Which must have Reached You some time since. By Conversing with Cap^t. Green⁷ who Commands the Queen of France,⁸ I have reason to believe that those Cargoes are partly on Account of the publick, and partly on private Account, I shall be happy in following any orders The Commercial Board may please to give me respecting those Goods, or any other Commands they may be pleased to favour me with, It gives me pain to inform you that the Brig Tryton Cap^t. Collis⁹ was taken, and sent into Guernsy, And lately, scarcely any vessels inward Bound have escaped the Enemy, this day a Flag returned here from hallifax, which place they left this day week, in her came the third Lieu^t.10 of the Ship Boston,¹¹ who was Retaken, prize master of a very rich ship,¹² he says worth 74,000 Sterling, taken by the Boston within one hundred & fifty Leagues of Cape Finnister,¹³ when retaken he was within twelve hours sail of Boston, this gentleman Assures us, the Frigates are called home to hallifax from their respective Cruizes. that without distinction the Prisoners are Closely Confined, and neither suffered to see, or receive Letters from any person in the town, the General Conjecture of the prisoners was, that they Expected a Visit, from some quarter, As they were repairing their works & making redoubts &^c. they have very lately sent in three Privateers. viz the Blaze Castle,¹⁴ the Wexford¹⁵ & the Washington,¹⁶ I hope in time our Frigates will Again make their Appearance at Sea, The Boston was Chased by two frigates off this Coast for thirty six hours, and play'd with them,¹⁷ pity it is her fast sailing trim was not found out before. I have the honor to be with all due respect Hon^ble. Sirs [&c.] 

J: Bradford

The hon^ble Timothy Pickering has in Consequence of an Application made to the board of War for Musquets, ordered me to deliver to the Order of the Gov^r. & Council of the state of Rhode Island, the forty Chests received by the three friends. if on publick Account, which I hope to days post will determine, if they belong to the publick shall get y^m. valued & deliver them.¹⁸

Honorable Sirs 

Boston 25^th June 1778

The foregoing I confirm the former part of which I trust will in some measure Appologize for my not troubling the hon^ble. Commercial Committee with the Acc^o. of the Arrival of the ships Heneritta & Le Brune (now the Queen of France) as immediately on the first intimation I Received that it was Supposed part of their Cargoes were on publick Account, I had wrote the foregoing, the Cargoes of the two ships remain entire saying some part of the Lead Which I have lately sent to Springfield in order to make out a proper Weight for the Carts that had been Carrying away the Sulphur & nitre which came in the dispatch,¹⁹ two Casks being too heavy & one too light I shall make Application to the Navy Board²⁰ as directed But no papers Yet Appear from M^r. Morris. I Earnestly Expected them the last Evg by post. the hon^ble. Committee are Sensible it will be attended with every Inconvenience to touch the Goods till the Invoices arrive. And from [that] time your Orders shall be most punctually obeyed. by not delivering any Goods but to the Order of Congress, the Commercial Committees order, or the Order of the Continental Board of War, I very Sensibly feel your reproof for exceeding the bounds of my duty in the purchase of a part of the Mermaids cargo without your orders and Distributing them to the Several departments here.²¹ that cargo was Sold at vendue saying the Articles wanted for the publick A sample of Each was sold to Make a price for the Whole, and it amounted to much more money than I Expected, the Clothiers were in the greatest Necessity at that time for the Articles I Delivered them, & the Next post will bring You a dra^t. for their Amount The Navy Board was Also in want and as they have lately taken the Supply of the Navy into their own hands I delivered them All the Goods Suitable for that purpose. What I delivered to the D Q M G.²² they produced their orders from the Board for Goods at that time were very scarce & the Clothiers Suffering for want, the 4000 dollars in favour of Cap^t Brown was to Enable me to pay the Agent for them Goods.²³ I am much Obliged by your honorg the dra^t. and shall Carefully make it my study to retain that respect, which was your inducement to do it, and for the future will never more [go] beyond my line; When I Advised the Marine Board²⁴ with the Arrival of the Mermaid, I suppos'd that part of the Members of that Board were also members of the Commercial Committee which has been formerly the Case, and at that time being much hurried and having but Little help was the Occasion of my neglect in [not] giving the information Due to the Commercial Committee, Your information of my having wrote to the Board of war Respecting the Arrival of the Heneritta Could only Arise from my making a return to that board of the Arrival of a parcell Lead in that Ship & forty Chests of Arms in the three friends. I am thoroughly impress'd that I am not to confer with that board on Commercial matters 

I will endeavour to furnish the honble Committee with the Account of the Continental part of the prizes taken by the Sloop providence²⁵ & Warren Frigate²⁶ by next post. I was not Culpable by not being more particular respecting the french Ships²⁷ arriving at portsm^{o 28} As I had it only from Mumford the post, who was from Exeter and Could give no farther Information And as M^r Langdon²⁹ was on the Spot I knew he would give the particulars, I thank you very kindly for the Good opinion You entertain of my being actuated by the best of Motives and can with great truth say my whole Attention is employed in the publick Service, having done with All private concerns Fifteen Months Since, and to give Satisfaction to my Constituents is the highest ambition I have, which if I can Effect will make me happy. I have the honour to be with every Sentiment of Respect [&c.]

The Ship you Enquire After is I hope the Same that is arrivd at Virginia We hear nothing of the Brig³⁰