Hond Sir

The time of my mens engagement being so Near it's Expiration have tho't it would give less Trouble to Your Honr and myself to have but one Settlement and that to the first of May, You will receive this by the hands of Captn [Eliphalet] Roberts and Leut [John) Chapman who Will bring their Accounts, and as You may think proper to adjust them, it shall be my rule with all others ー I should have waited on Your Honr with my Accounts before this, had it not been of the greatest Consequence to the Ship for me to have been Steady to her. ー for as I mistrusted and intimated to You, so it has turn'd out, and the Confusion Would be much worse should I leave the Ship a day as All Recruters publick & private are trying by all methods to Seduce and Induce my Men away, and their Time being so Near up, and the Demand for Seamen so great, that every method is taken to decoy them, and such a Variety of reports propigated respecting the Ship, that I have as much as I Can turn my Hands too to keep the peace a~d Order that is necessary on Board ー From the Great Demand and Ernest Solicitations of all Others Your Honrs Will see how great the Necessity is of my being impowered to Ship men for Whatever Service you Mean the Ship to go On, and to do that it is absolutely Necessary for me to inform them of the terms we Mean to Allow, and if she is to Cruise. I hope to be try'd out of port, it will be difficult to gett men for less than the Continental Conditions, and it is full time I was About it, I now have many good men, tho disapointed, a fine Choir of Under Officers many of whom do not want to leave the Ship, and upon good Encouragement am perswaded I can soon gett as good a Crew as has been Seduced from the Ship by Means (If I Can believe people) that is truly Devilish, and a better Crew Never belong'd to one Ship than I had ー I would Advise to leave the Appointing of an Officer in Melally's ² Room untill I See you, Which will be the latter end of Next Week, unless you give Orders for my sailing which if you think best, I am gone, for I have Seventy go[od] Seamen now Waiting for the ship at Wood's hole, & thereabouts and Can [get] at Once. Leut Chapman and Captn Roberts Can Inform your Honrs of [the] Menutia of the Ship in all particulars ー For News thare is Eight Ships [(in] Gardners Bay) besides the Five Frigates now off which are Supposd to be [af]ter wood and provissions, I am with Respect Your Honors [&c.]