private
D: Sir

The uncandid proceeding of Adl. Young, who, consenting to give up an undoubted priviledge of his Appointment, is desirous to ride home upon my Shoulders by assuming an authority to fill up Vacancies in the American Squadron; Obliges me to trouble you with the Order enclosed with my public Letter, for reinstating the several Officers concerned.

I am sorry for the Inconveniences to which the Captains will be put to in consequence of it; but as they willingly became accessory to this Breach of Rule & propriety, the necessary maintenance of my delegated Authority, will not suffer me to deviate from the limitations in the Order prescribed.

If the Falcon should happen to come here directly from the West Indies, I may be able to provide more commodiously for Lieutt [Thomas] Windsor's return to the Portland; a requisition to which he may possibly be disinclined. But as my Orders must be so framed, for preserving a due consistency wth the principle upon which my Conduct in this matter is founded, He, I hope, will pardon the inconveniences that are the unavoidable consequences of that necessity. The circumstances of Capt. Linzee are much the same. The same sentiments of concern must therefore naturally arise from the obligation I am under to insist upon his resuming the command of the Falcon. Such are the disagreable consequences to us all, of Ad. Youngs deviation from the line of his prescribed jurisdiction! As he has neither condescended to let me know the motives of his conduct, nor to take any other notice of the Fact, I conclude he esteems himself impowered to fill up Vacancies generally; a doctrine perfectly new to my little experience.²

I was in hopes the long expected arrival of our next public dispatches, would have enabled me to let you know the State of things in Europe. To judge from an accidental paper or two, brought out in Running Traders, the Alarm about European troubles is much subsided. Tho' all our intelligence agrees in the desire of the Landholders in the Colonies being for accommodation on almost any terms, and Deserters come in daily; we cannot yet discover when it may be in our power to inform the inquisitive in England, that our troubles on this side the Atlantic, promise an equally speedy termination. I am D: Sir [&c.]