Sir 

Since my Letter of the 15^th. instant (N^o. 11),¹ informing my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty of the arrival of His Majesty's Ships the Ruby and Boyne with the Trade from England,² the Ariadne and Ceres are arrived here, in consequence of orders from Admiral Young,³ to convoy the homeward-bound Merchant-Vessels from hence to S^t. Christopher's; and the State of these Ships with respect to Provisions will better describe the shameful neglect of the Contractor for Barbadoes and the Leeward Islands, than all I can possibly add on the subject. 

Their Lordships will see by the enclosed Report of the State and Condition of the Ships now here, that the Ceres is supplied with rice in lieu of Bread, and that the Ariadne has only seven days Yams and no Pease; And their Commanders assure me, that they have hardly ever had any Bread since they have been on the Station, and the little they were supplied with, was so very bad and full of weevils as scarcely to be fit for men to eat.⁴ 

A scarcity of Bread therefore has generally prevailed here, and of course could not be unknown to the Contractor; And yet, to my utter astonishment, not a single Vessel of the last Convoy brought out any for the Supply of the Contract. 

To relieve the Ariadne's present distress, I have ordered her Captain to purchase some Pease and a small quantity of Bread which fortunately arrived here in one of the Conyoy; and, as they bear a very high price, I hope their Lordships will give directions for the loss accruing to Government thereby to be deducted from the Contractor's Bills.⁵ 

Cap^t. Pringle having informed me that there is a person at Dominica, who will undertake to bake a Supply of Bread for the Ariadne and Ceres, I have written to him to have a Quantity ready for them upon their arrival, as they are ordered by Admiral Young to call at that Island in their way to St. Christopher's; And I beg leave to submit to their Lordships consideration, the necessity of establishing a Contract there, it being the best and almost the only convenient place for wooding and watering a Fleet, and also the most proper Rendezvous in time of War for watching the motions of the enemy and protecting His Majesty's Island in general. 

By the Hillsborough Packet,⁶ which arrived here yesterday, I have received your Letter of the 4^th. of last month (Tho' directed to Antigua) enclosing a Memorial from the Merchants and Proprietors of the Island of Tobago (representing the defenceless State of that Island, and complaining that the Aurora, which sailed from England in November last under orders to be stationed there for it's protection and security, had not appeared upon her Station on the 30^th of March,⁷ although she arrived at Barbadoes the beginning of January), and shall transmit a Copy of the same to Admiral Young by the Ariadne, that, as the matter relates intirely to his Command, he may report to their Lordships the cause of the said Ship's not proceeding to the Station assigned here, or why some other Frigate was not sent in her stead when she was diverted from that Service. 

With respect to their Lordship's direction signified by the said Letter, that in future not only the Aurora, or some other Frigate of equal force, but also a Sloop, be constantly stationed at and about the said Island of Tobago for it's protection and security, and not withdrawn from thence upon any account till others are sent to relieve them; You will please to represent to their Lordships, that it shall be punctually complied with, whenever the number of Ships which may happen to be under my command will admit of it. But I understand there would be only three Frigates, two Sloops, and two Armed Vessels of Admiral Young's Squadron left on the Station when the present homeward-bound Convoy is dispatched; and how I am to furnish the next Convoy with protection, which I am told will be expected some time in November, I am intirely at a loss. It does not, however, appear to me at all necessary to send so many homeward-bound Convoys in the course of so short a time, two having sailed in the months of May and June; and I could therefore wish their Lordships would be pleased to limit the number to sail from hence in future, and to appoint stated times for their sailing, that I may regulate the motions for the Squadron accordingly. 

I shall, in obedience to their Lordships orders of the 4^th. of June which came enclosed, purchase four Vessels to be employed as Sloops in His Majesty's Service, as soon as I can meet with any fit for the purpose. I am Sir, [&c.] 

P.S. Since writing the aforegoing, the Boreas is arrived here from Antigua with a Letter from Admiral Young: And application having been made to me for a Convoy for several Merchant-Vessels bound to Grenada, Tobago, and S^t. Vincents and now lying here in readiness to sail, I have ordered Cap^t. Thompson to perform that Service and then rejoin me at this place.⁸ 

Sam^l: Barrington