Copy.
My Lord,

I have the honor of enclosing to your Lordship a C<;>py of my Orders from my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and of acquainting you, that I arrived here with His Majesty's Ship under my command the 6th Instant, at 5 o'Clock in the morning, having sailed from Plymouth Sound the 2d of April.

Being Senior Captain in the River Saint Lawrence, immediately on my Arrival, I gave orders to Lieutenant Scott of the Gaspé Armed Brig to get ready to Sail for Halifax, in order to inform your Lordship as soon as possible of the State & Condition of His Majesty's Ships & Vessels under my command, and to carry General Sir Guy Carleton's Dispatches to General Sir William Howe.

Finding no Orders or Instructions here from your Lordship, since those to Captain Douglas dated the 13th of June last; I 'began to consider what Steps I should take for carrying on the Service, so as best to answer your Lordships Intention, and I shall be happy, if those I have adopted, meet with your approbation.

On consulting General Carleton, and finding he did not mean to make any fresh requisition for any Men for the Lake Service, the first object that Struck me, was, the great Expence of the Transports remaining here since last year, (of which I have enclosed you a List) I thought I could not employ the Apollo's people to more Advantage, than in getting those down from Sorel, in order to their being Caulked and put into a Condition to depart for England, as soon as their people can be spared from the Lakes, which by the time they are ready, the 200 Supernumeraries ordered out by the Lords of the Admiralty, will replace, and the Service carrying on there, not be interrupted, and by which means, I shall have my people ready, in case I should receive any pressing Orders to leave the River. ー I am employing all the Carpenters I can collect, in getting those ready that Wintered at Quebec, some of them will sail with two large Treasury Armed Ships in a few days, by which I shall send General Carleton's and my Dispatches to England.

The General having no Officer to send with them, I thought it highly improper to entrust them to a Master of a Transport, I shall therefore send Mr Burchell (appointed to Act as Lieutenant of the Viper by Sir Charles Douglas, last year) with them, and have given an order to Mr Harrison of the Garland (who has passed his Examination) to act in his stead, untill your Lordships pleasure is known. The Garland, Triton, and Viper have hauled out into the Stream, and do not find they have suffered in the least, by laying on Shore in the Winter.

Captain Lutwidge of the Triton (at the Request of General Carleton to Captain Pearson) is gone to carry on the Service of the Lakes; and I have also by the General's desire, sent Lieutenant William Brown of the Apollo to assist him.

If I receive no fresh orders or Instructions from your Lordship, as soon as I have got the Transports from Sorel down, and they are in some degree of Forwardness to return to England, (unless the General should make a Requisition of more Seamen for the Lakes, which I have no reason to apprehend, as the Ships here will answer every end of Carrying on the Service) my Intentions are to leave the River and proceed to Halifax for Orders for my future proceedings.

I enclose your Lordship a Report of a Survey on the Magdalen Schooner, whose Men I am at present employing in bringing the Ships from Sorel; as soon as that Service is over, I shall cause her to be put in a Condition for the River Service, where She will be very Useful during the Summer. As I found it was of great Benefit to have a Ship up the River last year, I have ordered Captain [Samuel] Graves in the Viper, as far up as Trois Rivieres on that Service.

The Brunswic, a Schooner taken into the Service last year by Sir Charles Douglas, I have ordered to be discharged, having no occasion for her, and have ordered Mr Longcraft (who was appointed by Captain Douglas to command her,) on the Lake Service, at the Generals request.

I have enclosed Copies of Letters from Captain Lutwidge and Lieutenant Turnbull of the Triton, desiring that Richard Kimber Boatswain, and .John Hodgkins Serjeant of Marines might be tried by a Court-Martial, the former for Embezzlement, and the latter for Drunkenness, &ca but there not being a Sufficient number of Captains to Constitute a Court, their Request could not be granted.

Some doubt having arose about the nature of the Sea Officers commanding on the Lakes, and receiving Commissions from General Carleton; I am desired by Captain Pearson to transmit for your Lordships Information, authentic Copies of what has passed between him and the General on the Subject; and am to Observe, that the Orders given to Captain [Thomas] Pringle, and the other Officers serving on the Lakes last year by Captain Douglas of the Isis, were never known to the General.

I have the honor to be My Lord [&c.]

[Endorsed] Letter from Captain Pownall Dated from Quebec 17 May 1777. 2 In Lord Howes Lre No 33.