Sir

The same principle of Humanity professed in the Letter I have received from You of the 25^th: Inst: and the just adherence to Engagements in the Correspondence with M^r: Cooke regarding the Exchange of Prisoners transacted under his Direction, were the motives for the proposal in my last of the 19^th:—

A List will be transmitted with the Prisoners to be Landed, as soon as the Weather will admit of sending them to Bristol; And the Paroles of the Officers will be taken; But as little Credit is generally speaking to be placed in the Assurance of the ordinary Seamen, it is hoped M^r: Cooke's interposition will be used to procure a suitable observance of the Conditions, that they do not serve again in any Military Capacity, until they have been duely discharged from this Engagement.

The Release of M^r: Smith¹ against M^r: Sprague² tho' not perfectly consistent with the original Conditions of Exchange with respect to parity of Rank is agreed to. Also of M^r: York³ for M^r: Otway;⁴ And M^r: Muirson⁵ for M^r: Meredith:⁶ And it is understood that those Officers are respectively Disengaged from their Paroles given.

I am directed to add that the Exchange of Coll: Ethan Allen, being a matter regarding the Department of the Commander in Chief of the Land Forces, Lord Howe has not authority to concur in the proposition.

I am also to take this opportunity of Stating the Impropriety in granting conditional Paroles for British Prisoners to come to any of the Ports occupied by the King's Forces under an Engagement to return at a limited time, if not able to procure the Release of some specified American; And to desire the Practice may be discontinued.

The favour of a safe conveyance for the enclosed Letter respecting the detention of the Cartel Ship Royal-Bounty at Boston,⁷ is requested. I am Sir [&c.]