My Lord,

Your Lordship having in your letter of the 30th ultimo acquainted us that it was hoped the orders which were issued in pursuance of His Majesty's pleasure for preparing a Vessel to be ready to Sail with the Cloathing &ca for the Army in Canada by the 10th of March last, would have been carried into Execution with all possible Dispatch, and that the Vessel (the Proteus) would at the expected time have proceeded to the place of her destination; that it was not however the Business of your letter to forward an Enquiry into the causes of the very extraordinary delays which so visibly attended the preparing her for the Voyage; but only to remark that the King was extremely chagrined to find that there was any delay whatsoever in a Business of such National Importance: We, nevertheless, think it necessary, as your Lordship has intimated that there were extraordinary delays in the equipment of the Proteus, to enter so far into this Business as to shew your Lordship that there were no delays but such as were unavoidable from accidents of Winds and Weather, the effects of which could not have been obviated but by an earlier signification of His Majesty's pleasure from your Lordship. And before we proceed any further into the discussion of this Matter, it may not be improper to recall to your Lordships remembrance that the orders we received in your Lordship's "letter of the 1st February were only to have Transport Vessels in readiness to receive their Loading onboard by the 10th March instead of being ready to Sail on that day as stated in your letter of the 30th of last Month.

The Tonnage which was at first ordered to be provided was increased by your Lordship's subsequent Letters of the 4th & 13th of February from 240 to 470 Tons ー These augmentations, under His Majesty's possitive injunctions that care should be taken effectually to protect the Vessels freighted with such very important Articles against every danger either from the Treachery of the Master or the Force of the Enemy, made it necessary for us to lay aside the thoughts of employing Transport Vessels, and to hire or purchase a Ship of large Stowage and capable of being sufficiently manned and armed to defend herself against an Enemy's Ship of Force. ー With this view the Talbot India man (now called the Proteus) was purchased so early as on the 14th February (the day after the date of your Lordship's last mentioned letter) and was so rapidly prepared for the Service for which she was intended, as to be carried from Blackwall to Woolwich on the 8th March, and to be in complete readiness to receive her Lading on the 13th, of which the Board of Ordnance had notice, and were desired to hasten their Stores onboard. ー Part of the Goods were taken onboard the 17th and the remainder, of what her great draught of Water would admit of her receiving at Woolwich, on the 23d, when a Pilot was sent onboard of her from the Trinity House to conduct her to Longreach she being then ready to proceed; but from the contrary Winds and bad Weather, which lasted for a considerable time, he absolutely refused to carry her down. ー From these untoward circumstances the Ship did not arrive in Longreach till the afternoon of the 23d of last Month; but such was the eagerness of the Captain and Officers to forward the important Service in which they were employed that she took in her Guns and ordnance Stores and the remainder of her lading so expeditiously as to Sail from thence on the 25th at Noon to the Nore; and having compleated her Complement of Seamen and Marines proceeded on the 27th towards Spithead where she arrived Yesterday.

From this deduction of Facts, which we desire your Lordship will lay before the King, we are inclined to hope His Majesty will be graciously pleased to believe that there has not been any extraordinary delays in the Equipment of the Proteus, but, that, on the contrary every exertion has been used in this Department to forward a Business of such National Importance.

As to the Machine for carrying flat bottom'd Boats, which has been represented to your Lordship to have been received onboard the Proteus to the exclusion of about 20 Tons of Cloathing, Shoes, &ca, We can at present only express our great astonishment at it, not having given any order in that respect, or ever heard of such a Machine till the Proteus had sailed from the Nore; For, before we had received your Lordship's letter, we directed her Captain to let us know by whose direction, or upon whose application it was received onboard, and shall not fail of sending your Lordship, for His Majesty's Information, Copy of his Answer as soon as it comes to hand. ー We have, in the mean time, ordered the Machine to be disembarked to make room for the Cloathing &ca if it arrives in time, as directed by Your Lordship's separate Letter of the 30th past. We are &c. ー