To the Committee of Safety for the City of Philadelphia, The Petition of John Adams and Others Humbly Sheweth:

That, Your Petitioners being a body of Pilots who reside in this city find themselves included in the Resolves of this Committee, dated 16th September, Inst., concerning the directions for the Pilots of the Bay and River Delaware.

That By these resolves, your Petitioners, many of whom have large families, find themselves destitute of their usual means of obtaining support for themselves and families; Their only business being that of Piloting.

That their residence being so far from the Cape, your Petitioners have not the Advantages (allowed by the Committee, to the rest of the Pilotts who reside at the Capes,) of following their Business as expressed by the 5th of the Resolves above mentioned.

That your Petitioners are well-wishers to America, and are willing to risk their lives in support and Defence of her Liberties, Provided their Families are secured from Poverty, and Misery, which Your Petitioners are justly apprehensive will be the case in pursuance of the Resolves aforesaid, Your Petitioners having not where withall to maintain them.

Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray ー

That this Committee will be pleased to allow to your Petitioners (they being as they humbly conceive by the nature of their Business as Pilotts fitt for the charge by them desired) The Care and Management of two of the Callies which are to be fitted out for the Defence of the City; which will be considered by your Petitioners as a sufficient compensation for the loss of their Business and as a Maintenance for their families.

And in Case This their Petition shall be granted, Your Petitioners will and do hereby engage to man the said Gallies out of the Body of your said Petitioners; or in Case your Petitioners shall not be sufficient of themselves to man the said Gallies, they do engage to find a sufficient number of effective men to compleat the Quantity necessary.

Or in Case this Committee shall not think it proper to allow the Prayer of this Petition as above expressed, Your Petitioners humbly pray that they may be allowed to Fish or Oyster for the Support of their families, the produce of which they do engage shall be sold in Publick Market, that the Community may enjoy and partake of the benefits of their Fishery.

And your petitioners do engage, That in Case this their last Petition shall be granted ー That they will, as far as in them lays, avoid and shun any Ship or Vessel that may come in sight during the time they are employed in Fishing as aforesaid; and they do promise ー

That rather than they will bring up or come in the way of any Ship of Warr or Armed Vessell they will run their boats ashore and make their Escape in the best manner they can ー

In humble Confidence of the Prayer of their Petition being allowed, Your Petitioners, as in Duty bound, shall every pray.

Philadelphia, 20th September, 1775.