[Extract]

You are informed, My lord, of the plans for the Royal Army in Canada. The intention is to penetrate the English Colonies by way of the Lakes Champlain and George. It has been admitted that much time will be needed to build the boats required for this passage. Then, these boats will have to be carried from one lake to the other and the Americans will have be overcome at Ticonderoga. We might say that first of all the Lakes must to be reached.

... Such are the plans for this country, as you have known them for a long time, My lord, and as they were explained to me on the map by Lord Barrington, Secretary at War. He intends to encircle New England in such a way as to cut all communications with the Southern Provinces.

...Their enemy claims that they [the Americans] lack everything; but we know that in spite of the vigilance of the English Cruisers they have ammunition in fair abundance. It is only feared that they are poorly supplied with locks for their fire;irms. They have quite recently captured the transport Hope which had sailed from Corke for Boston with a cargo of 75 tons of powder, one thousand rifles, a few military waggons, and six gun-carriages.² This prize as well as the capture of other transports is one of the lesser consequences of the unexpected evacuation of Boston.