Sir
Upon Receipt of this Letter, you will forthwith make preparations with all possible dispatch, for a Voyage to America.—1 Your own prudence, will naturally induce you to keep this your destination, secret, least Measures should be taken by the Enemy to intercept You.
If in the Course of your passage home, Opportunities should present of making prizes or of doing any material Annoyance to the Enemy, you are to embrace them, and you are at Liberty to go out of your Way for so desirable a Purpose.—The Fishery at the Banks of Newfoundland is an important Object, and possibly the Enemys Men of War, may have other Business than the protection of it. Transports are constantly passing and repassing from Rhode Island, New York and Philadelphia to Hallifax and from all these places to England.—You will naturally search for some of these as prizes.
If the French Government should send any dispatches to You, or if you should receive any from Us to carry to America, you will take the best care of them, and especially that they may not fall into improper Hands. You are not however to wait for any dispatches, but to proceed upon your Voyage as soon as you can get ready.
If there is any Room on board your Ship, where you could Store away a Number of Chests of Arms, or of Cloathing for the Use of the United States, you will inform Mr Schweighauser of it, that he may send them to You before your Departure.
We dont mean to incumber you with a Cargo, which shall obstruct the Sailing of your Ship or which shall impede You in fighting her: but if consistent with her sailing and fighting She can take any Quantity of Arms or Cloathing it would be a desirable Object for the public.2
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