Gentlemen

You are to appoint a Clerk & Treasurer for your Board and a Clerk for the Pay Office

You are to call upon M^r Lux^l for and Liquidate any Accounts he may have against the Continent as Continental Agent

You are to call upon & settle M^r Jonathan Hudsons Account for Superintending the building of the Ship Baltimore²

You are to call upon Mr Stephen Steward whom we have appointed to settle the outstanding accounts and pay off the wages of the seamen of the Virginia³ and receive of him such Accounts as he hath collected as well paid as unpaid, and also his receipts for Seamens wages, and discharge him from any further trouble in that business which you are to take up & Settle.

You are also desired to take care of the Timber and other Materials for Ship building belonging to the Continent which we are informed are floating about the River Patapsaco.⁴

You are to converse with M^r [George] Wells Ship Carpenter about the building of Small Vessels for the Continent, and after that require of him whether any Continental Timber or other Materials for Ship building have been converted to private use

you are to be strict in the enquiry into the loss of the Virginia, among other things how Captain Nicholson came to attempt to go out of the Chessapeake without having a Pilot on board his Ship. why he did not attempt to run his Ship AShore. If that could not be effected why he did not throw overboard his Guns ammunition war-like and Other Stores.⁵

Eight Ton of Continental Hemp hath been lately sent from this place to Baltimore and the other part was to be wrought up for the said Brigantine if she should want the whole. We would have you see that such Cordage is made up as Captain Read may want as soon as possible that Vessel lying at a great expence and waiting only for Rigging, and dispose of the Remainder of the Hemp as you may judge proper. We are Gentlemen [&c.]