Hon^ble Commercial Committee

Agreeable to your Orders I inclose an Inventory of the Prize Goods brought in by the Warren Frigate which was taken out at Sea, & the Vessell was afterwards retaken,¹ the Snow Robert arriv’d at Bedford² with a Cargo of Flax Seed & no person appears to purchase her³ I this Day receiv’d a Letter from M^r Jarvis⁴ who says the most he can get for the Snow & Cargo is £1300 I shall wait your Orders to know your Pleasure respecting the Purchase of Vessell & Cargo for public Acc^t. by manifest it appears her Cargo consists of 386 Trs⁵ & 4 Punch^ns.6 of uncleans’d Flax Seed with 50 Tons of fustic by the Character I’ve had of the Snow she [is] worth the Money without the Cargo. Im endeavouring to get in Forwardness my Accounts with the commercial Committee to transmit which shall be done as soon as possible, the Navy Board⁷ have desired Me to receive Capt Green’s⁸ Cargo—We are waiting for ye Invoices from York Town⁹ to compleat that Business they have lately had a Survey on y^e Ship¹⁰ & find she is not fit for a Cruizer, & desir’d me to take her under my Care, should be glad the honbl Board would give Orders what to do with y^e Salt that remains on Board, at the same time to receive their Orders respecting the Ship, M^r Deveil,¹¹ lately second Lieutenant of y^e Alfred¹² of good Character, has applied to Me & would be glad to take y^e Command under his present Commission & proceed on such Voyage as he may be order’d he makes no doubt he could man her with Frenchmen immediately—I beg leave to mention that I some time transmitted to y^e hon^ble marine Committee a Copy of y^e Sales of the Ship Alexander¹³ captur’d by the Sloop Providence amounting to £2676..10..6 also the Sales of the Active¹⁴ capturd by the Alfred & Providence amounting to £2065..3..7 as they were sold at Bedford. & M^r Jarvis was in Advance a considerable Sum for the public I desir’d the Auctioneer to pay the Money into his hands the part they’ve acted with y^e last Prize¹⁵ the Providence captur’d is of a very extraordinary & singular Nature the Agent¹⁶ contemning all Resolves of Congress, the Decree of y^e marine Court, & the Advice of his Consti[t]uents by keeping back the valuable Cargo of y^e Ship Mary, which he has sent into y^e different parts of the Country, & our Attorney¹⁷ tells Me I can’t legally break open Doors for y^e Recovery of it, the Cap^t.18 & officers are heartily sick of his Management & solemnly declares it is not their Instance he is gone forward to Congress. I heartily congratulate the honb^le. Board on ye Success of the Brig Gen Gates,¹⁹ which saild from Cape Ann this Day five Weeks²⁰ & yesterday sent in a Ship²¹ & Brig²² bound from Dominica to Quebec a Schedule of their Cargoes as below, these Vessells were taken in partnership with the Brig Hawk mounting 12 Guns & having 73 Men,²³ Cap^t. Skimmer gives the most pleasing Acc^t. of the good Qualities of his Brig & of the fair Prospect of taking a few more Vessells, which were on the same Rout I’ve very sanguine Expectations of his doing great Things before his Return, having nothing further to offer at present I remain yours &c—