[Extract]

Gentlemen  Immediately after the Reception of your Letters & Pamphlets, I went to Albany to find the State of the Lakes . . . I found the Lakes impassable at that time ー About a Fortnight after I set out for Canada and arrived at St Johns in 14 Days having undergone most inconceivable hardships the Lake Champlain being very high, the Small Streams Rivers, and a great Part of the Country for Twenty Miles each side of the Lake especially toward Canada under Water; the Lake Champlain was partly open & partly covered with Dangerous Ice, which breaking loose for Miles in length ca ugh our Craft drove us agt an Island and frose us in for 2 Days after which we were glad to foot it on Land.

I deliver'd your Letters to Mss. Thos Walker & Blake and was very Kindly reced by the Committee of Correspondence at Montreal, from whom I received the following state of Affairs in the Province of Quebec. Govr [Guy] Carleton is no gt Pollition, a Man of a Sower morose Temper, a strong Friend to Administration, and the late Acts of the British Parliament, which respect America, perticularly the Quebec Bill, has restrained the Liberty of the Press that nothing can be printed with examination & Licence. application has been made to him for printing the Address from the Continental Congress, and a refusal obtain'd. All the Troops in this Province are ordered to hold themselves in radiness for Boston on the shortest Notice, 4 or 5 hundred Snowshoes are prepared for what use they know not ー Mr Walker has wrote you about three Weeks since, and has been very explicit he informs you that Two Regular Officers Lieuts have gone of[f] in disguise, supposed to be gone to Boston, & to make what discovery they can through the Country ー I have the pleasure and Satisfaction to inform you that through the industry and exertions of our Friends in Canada, our Enemies are not at present able to raise Ten Men for Administration . . . Several French Gentlemen from Montreal have paid the Governor a Visit and offered him their Services as officers to raise a Canadian Army and join the Kings Troops, the Govr told them he could get Officers in plenty but the difficulty consisted in raising Soldiers.

There is no prospect of Canada sending Delegates to the Continental Congress; the Difficulty consists in this, Should the English Join in the non importation agreemt the French would immediately monop[o]lize the Indian Trade ー The French in Canada are a set of People that know no other way of procuring Wealth and honour but by becoming Court Sycophants, and as the introduction of the French Law will make room for the French Gentry, they are very thick about the Governor ー You may depend that should any movement be made among the French to join agt the Colonies your Friends here will give the shortest Notice possible, and the Indians on their part have ingaged to do the same, so that you have no reason to expect to be surprised witht Notice should the worst event take place . . .

One thing I must mention to be kept as a profound secret, the Fort at Tyconderoga must be seised as soon as possible should hostilities be committed by the Kings Troops. The People on N Hampshire grant have ingaged to do this Business and in my opinion they are the most proper Persons for this Jobb. This will effectually curb this Province, and all the Troops that may be sent hereー

As the Messenger to carry this Letter has been waiting some time with Impatience must Conclude by Subscribing myself Gentlemen [&c.]

To Mess. Saml Adams, Docr Jos Warren &c

Committee of Correspondence in Boston

I am this Minute informed that Mr Carleton has ordered that no Wheat go out of the River untill further order, the Design is Obviousー