Sir,

The Commissioners having by this day's Post received another Letter from the Collector and Comptroller of Bristol transmitting a Paper delivered to them on the 7th Instant by the Master of the Brig Christian, lately arrived from Georgia, containing several particulars relative to the Situation of Affairs in Georgia; ー I am directed to send You herewith a Copy of the said Paper, which You will be pleased to lay before His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State, for his Lordships Information. I am, Sir,

[Enclosure]

Advices received by the Brig Christian Captn Jno Alexander arrived at Bristol in five Weks from Georgia Vizt—

That the said Brig with several other Vessels, being nearly laden and ready to sail in the Months of December and January last; but were Stopp'd by orders from the Committee of Safety and Provincial Congress, ー untill the 1st of March, when upon Application to the Commanding Officer of the Provincials they had permission to proceed on their respective Voyages which they were preparing to do, when Captn Barkley of the Scarborough Man of War, who had Arrived at Cockspur about 3 or 4 Weeks before the said 1st March with two Transports having Troops on board in order to procure Rice for his Majestys Garrisons at Boston, being seen coming up to Savannah, with the Cherokee, Hichinbrook, and two Transports Alarmed the Provincials who Expected the Town would be Destroyed, and therefore again stopped the Vessels that were laden, at the Town, and on Saturday Night the 2d March, the Troops from on board the Transports went privately on board several of the Merchant Ships then laying opposite the Town of Savannah, and remaining on board, on Sunday the 3d of March; when a Boat from the Town with orders for the Vessels to unreef their Rigging and send it a shore came along side the Vessels, some of the Troops being Disguised presented their pieces to the people in the Boat and ordered them on board, whereupon some little time after another Boat from the Shore, with 2 or 3 Members of the Provincial Congress on board, came to know the reason why their Officer in the first Boat was Detained? when they were likewise ordered on board on this the People on Shore having a Suspicion of Troops being on board; Hailed the Vessels to send the Prisoners on shore, or they would Fire and no answer being made, they began to Fire from the Battery Erected that Day, on shore; Sometime after which a general Fire ensued, and in the mean time a Boat from the Shore came onboard the Christian which lay along side the Inverness, and informed the Captain they were come to set the Vessels on Fire, desiring them to save what they could and go immediately on Shore, which they found it impossible to do, having no Boats, on board either Vessel, Wherefore after some Consultation among themselves, the Provincials determined to Fire the Inverness only, whose Cargo was Valued at £20,000 Stg and to take their People on board the Christian, which being put in Execution the Ship was on Fire in several places befo.re the said Brig could get clear of her; which wasat last with difficulty effected, and luckily the Inverness got a ground, or would have set all the other Vessels on Fire, in the meantime the Troops Expecting the Ship on Fire, would be aboard them they left the Merchant Ships and landed on the Marsh opposite the Town ー the Provincials on Shore seeing the Inverness a ground, then set a schooner on Fire and sent her under Sail among the Ships which unluckily burn't the Brig Nelly, belonging to Liverpool and a schooner belonging to Georgia, whereupon all the Vessels got up the River, out of reach of the Battery and the next Morning had orders from Captn Barkley of the Scarborough Man of War to bring the vessels to 9 feet drau't of water, in order to proceed by the back River on their intended Voyages, (the proper Channel having been stopped by the Provincials) which obliged the Vessels to throw over board, great Quantities of Rice before they could proceed to Cockspur, soon after they arrived there, Captn Alexander applied to Captn Barkley for leave to proceed on his intended Voyage which was not permitted, but the Commanding officers of the Troops, ordered the Vessels along side the Transports to discharge the Rice they had on board, for the Use of His Majesty's Troops, at Boston &ca. soon after which the following Men of War, and Transports sailed for Cape Fear and Boston at the same time with the Christian, and other Merchant Ships who received Instructions from Captn Barkley to sail in the following order

The Men of War &ca ー Vizt

The Scarborough Captn Barkley 20 Guns

The Tamer Sloop Captn Thornbury [Edward Thornbrough] 16 Guns

The Symettry Transport Captn. —— 16 Guns

The Whit[b]y Transport

Merchantmen Vizt

To bring up the Rear the St John Sloop a Tender 4 Guns

There were besides left at Savannah

The Raven Sloop Captn [John] Stanhope
Cherokee Armed Vessel Capt Ferguson [John Fergusson]
Merchant Ships Vizt
Georgia Planter, Captn Inglis Unity Captn Wardell a Brig Captn Ash Beaufort Captn— Capt Steel—		with Some others Names Unknown

The Raven Sloop of War which Arrived at Cockspur from North Carolina about Ten days before Captain Alexander Sailed brought an Account that Governor [Josiah] Martin had a Number of Inhabitants in Arms at Cape Fear in favr of Government and it was expected that many more would join them from the back Settlements as soon as the Troops arrived and had forced one of the Provincial Camps the Raven had taken a Ship belonging to Philadelphia with 2000 half Johannes on board, a Brig and a schooner belonging to Georgia with Flour and Gun Powder.²

[Endorsed] A Paper from Captn Jno Alexander containing several Particulars relative to affairs in Georgia—