Honoured Sir

I herewith inclose for your inspection all the letters and Papers which I found in the Brigantine Sea Nymph ー for the Particulars of my Cruise hitherto I must beg leave to refer You to the within Open letter to the Marine Board which please to lay before them ー I purpose to Stand to the Southward in hopes of falling in with some Ships which I understand are now on their Passage from Barbados ー but at this late Season my Success is very Uncertain ー I will, however, Ply about in this Meridian as long as Ithink I have any chance and if I fail at last I can run to the Northward and try for better Success among the Fishermen which may Answer no bad Purpose by increasing the Number of our Seamen. ー however my cruise may terminate I forget not the Singular Obligation I owe to Mr Morris who Promoted it for my honour and Advantage & I esteem the Honour done me by his accepting my Correspondence as the greatest favour I could haveAspired to ー I conclude that Mr [Joseph] Hewes hath Acquainted you with a very great Misfortune which befel me Some Years ago and which brought me into No America ー I am under no concern however that this or any Past Circumstance of my life will Sink me in your Opinion Since human Wisdom cannot Secure us from Accidents it is the greatest effort of Reason to bear them Well. ー I will from time to time carefully communicate to you every intelligence in my Power ー and "As the regulations of the Navy," he says, "are of the Utmost Consequence You will not think it Presumption if with the Utmost diffidence I Venture to communicate to you Such hints as in my Judgement will Promote it's Honour and Good government. ー I could heartily wish that every Commiss[ioned] Officer were to be Previously examined, ー for, to my certain knowledge, there are Persons who have Already except into Commission without Abilities or fit Qualification: I am myself far from deserving to be excused. ー from my experience in Ours as well as from my former intimacy with many Officers of Note in the British Navy, I am convinced that the Parity of Rank between Sea & land or Marine Officers, is of more consequence to the harmony of the Service, than hath generally been imagined. ー in the British Establishment ー an Admiral ranks with a Genl a Vice Admiral with a Lieut Genl a Rear Admiral with a Major Genl a Commodore with a Brigadier Genl a Captain with a Colonel, a master & Commander with a Lieut Col[o]nel ー a Lieut. Commanding with a Major, and a Lieutenant in the Navy Ranks with a Captain of Horse, Foot or Marines. ー I propose not our Enemies as an Example for our Genl imitation ー Yet as their Navy is the best regulated of any in the World, we must in Some degree imitate them and Aim at such further improvement as may one day make ours Vie with and Exceed theirs. ー Were this Regulation to take Place in our Navy it would Prevent numberless disputes and deuelings with otherwise will be Unavoidable." ー besides Sir, you know very well that Marine Officers being Utterly Unacquainted with Maritime Affairs are in those Cases unfit Persons to Preside at or Compose half the number of a Court Martial. ー I beg Pardon for the liberty ー I thought that Such hints might escape Your Memory in the Multiplicity of Business. ー I have Always Understood that the Sentince of a Court Martial when Confirmed by a Commander in Chief was definitive and Admitted of no Appeal ー to Prove this I must again recur to English authority in the Case of Lord Geo. G. Sackville who for disobeying the Orders of Prince Ferdinand at the Battle of Mindan was by a Court Martial held at the Horse Guards Rendered incapable of Serving Afterwards in any Military Capacity ー Altho' his great Abilities were then well known and are Generally acknowledged at this day ー I am led into this Subject by hearing with Astonishment the Application and Complaint of the late Captn [John] Hazard to the Marine Board after he had been found "Unworthy of Bearing his Commission in the Navy" by the Undivided Voice of a Court Martial where I had the honour to Sit as a Member.

If he was then Unworthy of bearing his Commission I cannot see what new Merit he can have acquired ー and even if he had merit it would not be Sound Policy to reverse the Sentence ー it would make Officers Stand less in Awe and attend less Punctually to their duty ー and it is not Impossible that it might Induce future Court Martials in some Cases to inflict Personal Punishment from whence there is no Appeal.

There was a Mistake made in the date of my Commission which Unless you Stand my Friend will make a material difference when the NavyRank is Settled ー I took Command here the Tenth day of May as appears the Order and Appointment of the Commr in Chief on the Back of my Commission as Eldest Lieutenant of the Fleet. and my Commission as Captain is not dated 'till the Eight day of August ー which you know is not fair as it would Subject me to be Superseded by Captain Robeson [Isaiah Robinson] who was at first my Junior Officer by Six ー Perhaps it might Subject me to be Superseded by Others. ー If I have deserved so ill as to be Superseded I am Unworthy of bearing my Commission. ー I esteem it a greater disgrace and Severer Punishment than to be fairly broke and dismiss'd the Service. ー I have ordered Mr [William] Hopkins the Prize Master to deliver You a Turtle which Please to Accept ー I have the Honour to be with Grateful Esteem and much respect [&c.]