Boston 12th Feby 1778
Honoured Sir
Permit Me to Trouble your Excellency with a few Lines more Concerning the Ship Defence She Now Lying at hancocks Wharf with all her Provisions on board Excepting bread and flowr and Small Stores her sails bent with One hundred men on board Includeing Officers Your Excellency Doubtless knows the Expences She is attended with therefore my Reasons for Troubleing your Excellency at this time Is to beg the Authority to Suppley Our Agent with Cash Sufficient to Send us to Sea Immediately—
your Excellency Cannot think how Exceeding Expencive Ships are fitted Out at this Day Notwithstanding their are about fourteen sail of armed Vessels In this Harbour at Present but none so forward with men as Our Ship For which I have taken unweared Pains Sent to Falmouth Cape-Cod Marthes Vineyard and several Other Sea Port Towns which makes it Veary Expencive but better then to have the Ship Lye in Port all the Season for it would be Impassable to man from this Port as I have Not entered above three or four here since I begun to Recrute I have Advanced the Greatest Part of the money you sent for Articles for the Ship that was much wanted and therefore beg your Excellency to Send by the bearer Mr. Robt. Wasson a Sufficient Sum of money to Mr Eliot to Compleat the Ship and Pay the men their Wages Due the Same he wants Perhaps he will Mentain to you in his Letter1—
I Likewise shall be Glad of my Orders and if your Excellency thinks Proper to send New Commissions, as I see Nothing but What is here mentioned to hinder Sailing in ten Days—
therefore for the Public Good make no Doubt your Excellency will Compley With my Request the Cannon I Expect every hour therefore hope soon to Pay the State threefold for all her Expences. Conclude your Excellencys [&c.]
Saml Smedley
L, Ct, Jonathan Trumbull Papers, vol. 8, pp. 75a-b.
1.See Samuel Eliot, Jr., to Governor Jonathan Trumbull, 12 Feb., immediately below.