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By the Viscount Howe, Vice Admiral of the White, and Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels employed and to be employed &c. in North America

Whereas the Ships named and stationed as in the List herewith delivered, are intended to be employed in conjunction with the Land Forces under the Command of Major General Pigot¹ for maintaining possession of Rhode Island and defeating the hostile Attempts of the King's rebellious Subjects inhabiting the adjacent Colonies, As well as to prevent the Success of their Endeavors in other respects, for continuing their opposition to the re-establishment of His Majesty's Authority and Government in this Country: And whereas the chief direction of the said Ships will devolve on you, in the Absence of a Senior 0fficer:² You are therefore to have regard in the Conduct of those Services, to the following General Instructions.

You will be to take your Station in the Nonsuch at the Port of Rhode Island. In such Parts thereof for co-operating with Major General Pigot (or the Commanding General Officer for the time being) in defence of the Island,³ And for communicating with the Ships of your Division anchored off of the Creeks and Harbors contiguous to the Port, as you deem most effectual for the several purposes as aforesaid. Being also to give the General every other assistance you can render for the Support and Accommodation of the Troops.

Having made the Dispositions requisite for these principal Objects of your care, within the Limits of the Port, it will become necessary to provide for the establishment of the same Restrictions on the New England Coasts; And for giving Protection to the Transports sent with Supplies for the use of the Fleet and Army to this Port and New York.

You will be to appoint the Ships with which you may be provided according to the Number, that can be spared from other less urgent Services, to such Stations as from Intelligence procured, or the Information the Captains so employed you deem most likely to be productive of the intended Effect, More especially with regard to the Ships of the Enemy, designed for Boston and the other New England Ports. But having reason to believe from late advices obtained, that the Rebels are meant to be furnished by foreign Powers, with Ships of more considerable force than they have yet possessed; And that they are constructing One, or more of Dimensions equal to a third Rate (the first to be finished in the ensuing Month of May) at Portsmouth and Boston,⁴ for which proper Artillery and other Stores are daily expected to arrive at those Ports, in large Armed Ships from Europe, probably under French Colours. It will therefore be expedient to station the Frigates on the New England Coast (two at least keeping always together) that they mayjoin in greater force occasionally when not supported by any two decked Ships which I shall endeavor to appropriate in Succession for such Service.

Conformable to this Intention, the Senior Officer at Halifax is directed to Apprize You as he has opportunity of the Stations assigned for the Ships under his Orders, And you are to acquaint him in like manner, with the Arrangements proposed by you, for your mutual accommodation.

You are also to correspond with Commodore Hotham⁵ at New York, Both in respect to Supplies of Provisions and Stores that can be consistently furnished from thence, when wanted for the Ships of your Division, and for communicating such necessary Information respectively, as will enable you better to conduct the parts of the King's Service, with which you have been separately entrusted.

The Captains stationed as beforementioned will be to avail themselves of the Knowledge they may gain, respecting the most probable means for intercepting the Ships of the Enemy passing to and from the New England Ports, And also regard- ing the use to be made of such places of Anchorage, as may be found on the Coasts of the Northern Provinces, in case it should become necessary to have recourse thereto on any emergency, or for preventing the disadvantage of being forced from their Stations in the Winter Season.

Returns of the Disposition of the Ships under your Orders (employed at Sea or within the Limits of this Port) are to be transmitted to me from time to time, as any change is made therein, under the Heads as in the Form annexed.

A Correspondence having some time subsisted with M^r. Nicholas Cook,⁶ chosen by the disaffected Inhabitants of the Colony of Rhode Island to be their Governor, And also with the Inhabitants of New England, by a Commissary of their Appointment, for negotiating an Exchange of Prisoners,⁷ meant to be chiefly confined to this Port; The further Conduct thereof will remain to be transacted under your Inspection, assisted by M^r. Charles Waller Commissary in that Department, On the former Plan of rendering Officer for Officer, claiming equal Rank in the Armed Vessels of the Enemy, and Sailor for Sailor of Ability to serve in the Fleet. Persons of other Descriptions made Prisoners by the Rebels, are also to be exchanged in like manner, for those in similar Characters. But all British Seamen taken in the Service of the Rebels (not having deserted from any of the Ships of War) may be retained involuntarily to serve in the Fleet. And Deserters are to be reserved for being tried at a Court Martial for such breach of their Duty and Allegiance.

In the Distribution of any able Seamen procured in this manner, care is to be taken that the Less qualified Men, belonging to Ships furnished with such able Seamen, are not selected and discharged from those Ships Books, to the Supernumerary Lists, for being turned over into other Ships, as is too frequently practised on similar occasions to the great prejudice of the general Service. If therefore when you Muster and Inspect the Qualifications of the Men, in the Ships of your Division, you should find that any Supernumeraries have been so improperly transferred, you are to order the replacing of them to the Complements of such Ships respectively, the intention being in all Instances, when it is necessary to com- plete the Complements of the Ships from such Drafts, to have the Men so assorted, amongst the several Ships, that the number of the more or less serviceable Men, may be the most equally divided.

Complaints having been sometimes made that the Men in particular Ships of the Fleet were much inferior in Quality to the Rates given with them, when received in England, the Captains deeming themselves restrained from the Liberty of altering those Rates, according to the actual pretensions of the Men: You are on such representations signified to you, to examine (in conjunction with the Captains or other Officers, whom you shall see proper to call to your assistance on that occasion) into the Circumstances thereof, and to cause such change to be made in the disproportioned Rates of the Men (pursuant to the Intentions and Orders of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty thereon) as upon due inquiry touching their respective Abilities you judge fit.

The Agent Lieutenant Knowles⁸ is instructed to inform you concerning the state of the Transports, preparing and fitted for occasional Service. Also of the Batteaux and Flat Boats which can be employed for the Embarkation or conveyance of the Troops posted on this Island, as Major General Pigot may desire; And of every other particular in his charge; As the Deputy Agent Victualling and Surgeon having the care of the Sick are directed to do, in the matters of their respective Departments.

You are to transmit to me, by every suitable conveyance, an Account of your proceedings regarding the several Objects of your present appointment: With Returns of the Captures made by the Ships under your Orders, according to the Form subjoined, And of the state and Condition of the Ships, from time to time, as any change occurs therein: Distinguishing only on the back of the last, in what manner Supernumeraries belonging to no Ship were procured, with their Qualities and the Names of the Ships to which those being part of the Complements of other Ships belong. And you are further to acquaint me, at the same time, with the particulars of any Intelligence you have obtained concerning the Operations and Designs of the Rebels for strengthening themselves in their illegal resistance, With the measures you deem most effectual to prevent the Success of their Endeavors therein, and every other Information necessary to be communicated for promoting the Benefit of His Majesty's Service, which you may have then acquired.

By Command of the Vice Admiral
Jos^h. Davies