Dear Sir

We arrived here, on the 24th after a passage of Ten Days, standing in to the S West part of the Island the Sloop struck but were off in a few Minutes, I beleive wi~hout any damage, save knocking off some of her Sheathing ー A pilot came on board instantly, and the Wind heading brat her to an Anchor. I went immediately on Shore, & found The Island absolutely destitute of Corn, & nearly so of Flour ー The greater part of the Families, not having had a supply of Corn, for some Weeks but on inquiry found the prices limited by their Act of Assembly, could not be exceeded, which were by much too moderate for the risque of such a Voyage, yet considering the situation in which We were, and the freindly disposition of the Inhabitants, I could Not think of going further with the Cargo, as the whole Island were apprized of the Arrival in Three hours after We Anchored and the Report was that Congress had heard of their wants, & had permitted this vessel to come with this Cargo to their releif how such a Thought came into their Heads (God only knows,) but they are many of them very inquisitive & equally Communicative, so that one might almost Question, if there are many Secrets in the Island ー Capt [John] Tucker immediately, on getting the Sloop in set off to enter her, & will return I expect This Day, in the mean time, judging it by no means best to proceed in her, I have Chartered a Sloop of about Eighty Tonns of Mr [John] Jennings The particulars of which with the Charterparty &c I send you inclosed, she is said to be, the Swiftest Vessel in the island, is about Fifteen Months old, & well found, so that, probably, you may .Judge it best, to Take her, at the Value Your Effects from Jamaica may be bro't here safely, & I doubt not that your plan on that Subject will be executed But I am in doubt [what] to think of Venturing any of the Supplies of the Continent This way, for the Reason[s] abovegiven, & that only, for the people are zealous in the American Cause, and appear willing to do every thing in Their power to promote i!-I hope to get away from this, Next Wednesday, at farthest before which, shall add to this as things occurr, I have got a very clever Captain of the Sloop I have Chartered one [Charles] Morgan, who had just returned from the Bay in her Captn Tucker is quite an obliging agreable Man, & I have been very happy with him, in my short passage, but as he has been little acquainted with transacting business himself, advise you, to be very explicit, in the Instructions, you may from time to time send him, which I think he will not knowingly deviate from, I have given you this hint, on recollecting some Conversation of yours on this Subject when you proposed sending out a Factor to this Island on the business ー The Governor who is become very obnoxious, has been threatening the Inhabitants with Cruisers stationed at each End of the Island, & Troops, but no man of Sense can beleive so useless & expensive a Measure will ever be adopted, The Vessels in here from the Islands, give an Account of the Disposition of the People there, which is very farr from meriting the.indulgence shewn their property, in the late Resolution for Reprisals, ー in Antigua, & Barbadoes, an American is not safe either in his person, or property, if he is known to be freindly to the Continental Interest, & they exult in the prospect or rather hopes of a total reduction of the Colonies by Administration, one Consequence of which they are promised will be, the Confining the American Commerce in the West Indies absolutely to the English Islands This may be relied on, to tie the present Temper of the Islands in General, ー This Island suffors much, One hundred & Twenty vessels are now on hand, unemployed, and the people happy. [if] They can keep from an absolute Famine, for the produce of the Island is next to nothing at all. Vessels proper for privateers, might be taken up here to good Advantage and Gunns for them purchased, as there are a great Number of good Ones, of those used, in the late Warr now on hand-A Number were lately purchased, & shipped-as I heard, and more may be had of Four to Nine pounders,:-Mr Jennings, has a fine Shipp on the Stocks of Eighty Feet Keel, may be launched soon & would make a fine privateer, he would be glad to sell her, and I beleive could procure the Gunns for her ー I did not venture to bring the proceedings of Congress with Me my Name being often mentioned, might give a lead to Suspicion, which might otherways sleep. I wish therefore you would send me Five, or Six of the Journals of the first, & present Congress by which I may oblige a Freind, also collect all the Newspapers that have been published, since my leaving Philadelphia and send them to me continuing to do so, by every vessel, this will save you the trouble of writing many things in the News way, and serve to give me from time to time the Situation of Affairs, as from my Acquaintance with the Colonies I shall form a tolerable Judgrient what is, or is not true, and you may with your pen write against any peice of intelligence, which may probably be doubtful, or not to Me, in one word, in what Light it is viewed with you ー as thus ー "This may be depended on", ー "Doubtful", "probable", Wants Confirmation, improbable, "contradicted by private Letters", or Confirmed by them. &c, &c, Notwithstanding the many Falsehoods published in the Newspapers, they are generally a good Clue, to lead, to the Sentiments, & Complexion of the People and the Times, and may be of more Consequence to Me than a meer Amusement

A Sloop this instant arrived from Antigua & brings Acct that Twenty One Sail of Transports under Convoy of Two Men of War sailed the beginning of this Month for the Continent, from Antigua, and by the Captn the Report of the disposition of the people of that Island, & Barbadoes toward the Colonies, is confirmed withmany Aggravating Circumstances.ー

Capt Tucker met with no Difficulty in enteringat the Custom House, where he is now gone to procure a New Register in the Name of Henry Tucker junr & himself and will be ready to Sail in a Day, or Two to execute your plan in Jamaica ー Considering the Consequence to you of prosecuting that Business, & that the Sloop of yours was fitter for that, than my purpose, being. but an indifferent Sailer, and that the Sloop I should take up here, would, beside her being sailed at a Cheaper lay, have every Advantage, of a Bermudian Bottom, without the possibility of any the least cavil, or Suspicion, & by changing both Master & Crew int[ire]ly in this Way prevent danger from another Quarter I judged it, most for the interest of the public to take this Method & hope it will meet the-Approbation of the Committee ー I have taken the charterparty, in the Name of the Contractors, as Mr [Henry] Tucker, by your Letter, knew of their Names, and that I had Connection with them, in the End it amounts to. the same thing, on whom the risque is fixed, as it falls ultimately on the Same stocks, and by this, my Views could be Considered, only as Commercial ー finding a Considerable Ballance, would be left on hand unless I waited longer than was Consistant with my Business abroad, lhave taken some Logwood in Ballast, to lessen the sum tci be left, and help Appearances Accts of which is inclosed ー The Sloop will be ready by the Time (viz) Wedne[s]day next on which Day Weather permitting I shall sail, The Captain is gone, to the Custom House, & will Clear for Leghorn with a Cargo of Logwood, the reports being that the lastich [sic] is very high there, and the Owner here willgive every Necessary Instruction on that head Copies of which will inclose you ー The Situation & present State of this Island demands the attention of the Continental Congress, & I have had several Conferences with Mr Bell, on the Subject, it is unnecessary to attempt a particular Description, of an Island, so well known as this, but you will remember that by the Acct givn in to Congress the Number of its Inhabitants were set, at 'abt fourteen thousand, one half Blacks, and the Quantity of provision .annually imported into the Island was then stated, which moderateas it appears, is much rriore, than the Inhabitants will here:. after be able to pay for unless they can be put on a different footing froin their present ー Negro are all of them Seamen,

9..,1).eTheir men, & Mechanics, such as Cooper.s,Ship Carpenters, & Black Smiths, & the produce of their Labor makes Nine Tenths of the support of both their Masters & fellow Slaves, their being no employ worth the mentioning for either the Female Slaves or Children, as the Land is absolutely fitt for Nothing but the growth of Cedar ー it is well known that almost the whole of that trade; & shipp Building which employed them & their Slaves depended on the intercourse between the American Colonies on the continent, & foreign parts ー This Ceasing throws them instantly into distress, without Stock of provision, & without the means of paying for it could it be procured, & on a soil incapable of supplying them, were they t? Cultivate every Inch of it-This is, simply, their present Situation, which greatly Alarms them, the Governor has threatned them with sending for Vessels of Force, in such Case, instant Famine is inevitable unless they can subsist on Fish alone, and if they cannot by some means procure speedy Supplies from the Continent, they will be in the same unhappy Situation. sensible of this the Inhabitants have had meetings, have Chose a large Committee, of which Col [Henry] Tucker is Chairman, and the Inhabitants, are contributing all in their power to ward off the impending danger, but any releif they may obtain can be only Temporary, Momentary I may say, Unless the Continent take them immediately under their protection this is I conceive neither impracticable, nor would be attended with any very heavy Expence, & the Consequences might be very beneficial to the Colonies, ー it is hardly possible for a person, never on these Islands (for they amount to Hundreds of little ones) to form an Idea of them, & their harbors, it is sufficient to say they are the most difficult of access in the World, & some of the safest when entered-on the South there is no Water for any thing more than a Whale Boat over a Reef running the whole extent at about half a League from the Shore, at the West End where We landed there is a Channel thro. the ー Rocks, & Shoals, which extend near Two Leagues off Shore but so winding that it requires a skillful pilot to bring You thro. and in the best Weather it is alarming to a Stranger to see the Rocks on every Side, & Under him (their Clear White Shining thro. the Water) as he passes and finally enters where the high land on each Side is not a Musket Shot from the center of the Channel-on the North side the Breakers run almost out of Sight of Land, thro. which there is one passage but so difficult that the Islanders themselves make little use of it ー At the East End, the harbor is more capacious than this at the West, but equally Difficult, & easily defended But when you are once entered either of the Harbors you may have your Choice of a Number of lesser Ones formed by the little Broken Islands, between which is generally good Depth of Water & safe anchoring-This from my Own Observation, & inquiry is the Natural situat[ion] of the Island, which running between the NE.,& SW., every Vessel, passing between Great Brittain, & the West Indies, unless drove out, of their Course, sails within about One Hundred Leagues, of one of its Extremities, this considered it is Evident, they being fortified, so as to make a safe Harbor, for Our Cruisers, the whole West India Trade must be intercepted, & that by a Small Fleet, of swift sailing Frigates, & Sloops, ー I am no judge of the expence of such fortification, but Gentlemen, of some Acquaintance with such Affairs estimate it low, & as to a land force, the most Trifling, even the Militia of the Island properly supplied with Stores, would be sufficient to guard a Coµntry, as impenetrable after landing as it is inaccessible ー there are a sufficient Number of Cannon on the Island for that purpose, & to Arm a Number of Cruisers besides ー And the Inhabitants I am Confident would receive you as their best Freinds. & my Confidence of this is founded on their situation. ー As the Continent are driven into a Naval Warr, it must be a principal Question in what manner the Trade of Great Brittain can be most advantagiously to the Colonies Attacked and as the parliament have in effect closed with tl;e Congress, in the stopping all Commerce, between the Continent, & G Brittain or other British Dominions, it must be the policy of America, to intercept, as far as possible, their intercourse between each other as well to supply Ourselves, as to distress them to effect which some Harbor, or Harbors must be pitch'd upon convenient for the purpose, & secured, & the question will be are those of this Island the best-I think they are, for The Reasons hinted at, above, and for the probability that the Enemy unsuspecting of such a Maneuvre & intent on blocking up the ports, on the Continent, may receive a heavy blow, in their West India Commerce before they are aware of, or guarded against it, and if they attempt to defeat such a design it must be by drawing off their Forces from Our Coast for a While at least ー These hints I submit to maturer Consideration, & to the present Turn of political measures, which I am sensible may have Altered since my leaving you, but a minute inquiry into the practicability, and expence, of such a Scheme, will Cost, neither Time, nor Money, worth Mentioning, and I wish it may be made by some person of better Judgment, than I conceive myself or perhaps my informers here to be, who have discoursed with Me, on this Subject, ー if the Sloop I have Chartered, answer the Character given of her for Sailing, I shall send her back with part of the Effects and order her to Call at this Island, having agreed, with Captn Tucker on the Signals, & for him to keep a look out, shall therefore depend you will punctually inform him of the situation of the Cruisers to the Northward ー Any Lettr you can get to him, can be sent Me by the Way of St Eustatia, put under a Dutch,or French Cover, to Bourdeaux, or Amsterdam ー I have discoursed with Col Tucker among other things on the procuring one or more swift sailing Vessels of this Island for the purpose of carrying intelligence and he says he can either build, or purchase if you determine on any such Measure, you may depend on this Gentleman, & on the Intelligence he gives you from time to time with respect to this Island

Capt Tuckers Acct of Sales of [George] Ords Cargo I have received & with it the Balls being £ 700 .. 10 .. 11 for which I have drawn on you & Co agreeable to your Orders ー inclosed you have also H.Tuckers rect on back of Bill of Lading for the Sloop Betsey's Cargo, & Copy of my Rect to him for the Money I have received of him both of which Sums are to the Credit of the Indian Contract, I have had some Words with Mr H Tucker, on the score of Commissions which to Me Appear exorbitant, and he finally referr'd the Matter to you saying he was willing to submit it to you ー I find so much light Money passing that that will be one reason, of my not receiving More of the Betseys Cargo, I shall direct Mr Tucker to invest the Balls in good Bills which he says can be done in a few Days and send them by Way of St

Eustatia under French Covers, to Messrs Satnl & J.H. Delap, at Bordeaux for Me ー The Bearer of this Mr [George] Bascom[e] is waiting-I hope to sail this Day May 1st but ari Unforseeri:Di'fficulty arises, Capt Tucker by advice reported his Vessel as from the Mississippi with Corn, and both the-Gover nor, & Collector told him his Sloop was entered, & that that was the method of proceeding ー after which the Collector gave Orders to the Office for a New Register in form as I had directed, when to Our surprize, the Comp troller refused his Consent to the New Regis.ter, or even to any entrance or Clearance of the Sloop this rise~. partly from a quarrel between the Collec tor & him & partly from adesire of appearing very Strict in these times ー this Trick, for I can call it no other, Vexes Me, . Capt Tucker has got his old Register, so that the Sloop is safe from seizure here, indeed the populace would not permit of such a step, and the Comptr declares he will not seize her or any other Vessel in such Circumstances but that he will have nothing to say to them one Way or another this man is one [Copeland] Stiles ー Capt Tucker is again gone to the Office and I have directed him to get a Registr & Clearance from the Collector, & Governor without Noticing the Comptr in them, if he procure this, he will proceed on his voyage tomorrow will write you one Word on his Return ー I wish if in your power to serve Capt Bascom you would assist him as he has been kind eno. to wait some time for this Lettr ー if Capt Tucker fail of a New Registr he is ad vi~ed, (&inde[e]d by the Comptr) to proceed to Turks Island, enter as from St Eustatia, take on board a trifle of Salt, & clear for Jamaica obtaining a New Register there, to do which Mr H Tucker will give him the Necessary papers, situated as he is I know of no safer plan, but I will write you how he makes out before I sail, and as I can detain Capt Bascom no longer must Close this Long Lettr with Complts to all of my immediate Freinds, & assur ing You I shall exert myself to make all the dispatch in my power

I am with Esteem Dear Sir Your [&c.]

SD

P.S. The Charterparty, & particulars of expences, Wages, &c on the Sloop, as also Copies of the Receipts I shall not be able to send by this unless Capt Bascom can wait a few Hours if he cannot will leave them inclosed to be sent by another Sloop sailing soon.