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My Lord, I am extreamly sorry my exceeding Illness will not permit me the Honor of paying my personal Respects to Your Lordship, I am therefore obliged to send the Lieutenant to wait on You. I beg Leave to acquaint your Lordship I left the Port of Georgia on the 1st Octr last, being reduced to two Weeks short Allowance, & that consisting only of Pork and Flour, & having no Prospect of a Supply; I purposed proceeding to St: Augustine, the same Day I left Georgia I spoke the Lively Capt [Thomas] Bishop and informed him of my having left the Port that Morning for Want of Provisions, he ordered me to follow him to St. Augustine, Three Days after he supplied me with Three Weeks Provisions at whole Allowance, and ordered me back to my station, and if I could not get into the Port again I was to cruize & make Tibie [Tybee] Lighthouse once in Twenty four Hours, until I was joined by him; and if any Accident prevented that, in the Course of about Fourteen Days, I was immediately to proceed to the Northward to join your Lordship, for You wanted every Ship on the Coast, and intended taking me to the Northward on his Return from St: Augustine: I got off Georgia Bar, the 11th instant at Six in the Evening, and came to an Anchor, it being too dark to see the Marks to go in; We heard two Guns at Tibie Lighthouse as an Alarm to the Town, a Place where We never saw a Rebel; At Day-Break I intended going in, but at two in the Morning a heavy Gale of Wind came on at NNE, and obliged me to put to Sea, it lasted violently for four Days; on the 15th I fell in with the Lively that had slipt from St. Augustine in the same Gale of Wind, and left Captain Bishop and his Boat's Crew behind; the Lieutenant informed me the Sphynx, Raven & Cherokee were to join your Lordship, and the Otter, Hinchinbrook and St. John Schooner were to remain at St: Augustine and St. Marys; Having but little Provisions & Water on board, that should I attempt to go into St. Augustine and drove to Leeward of the Port, I might be a great While beating up, as the Ship goes so ill, and perhaps obliged to bear up for the West Indies, which would be taking a Ship off the Coast; therefore I thought it best for His Majesty's Service [to] join your Lordship as soon as possible; I herewith inclose the State and Condition of the said Ship. I have the Honor to be My Lord [&c.]

Sphynx, New York River,
this 26th October 1776.