I send you this by the Mercury packet, bound for Falmouth, which I hope will be the last, until I shall have the happy enjoyment of seeing you myself, which may be about the middle of next September; it depends upon the arrival of Lord Howe and the fleet which we expect hourly; we should have been sent to England from Halifax, but being acquainted with the coast about this place, the Admiral detained us to assist in convoying the fleet to the place above-mentioned, where we have arrived all safe and well, and the troops landed on Staten Island without the least opposition; three hundred friends joined the troops immediately; no attack I believe will be made until the grand army arrives; our station at present is off Sandy-Hook light-house, which was attacked about four days before we arrived, by five hundred rebels, with two brass field-pieces, six pounders, double fortified, but were driven off by a serjeant and corporal of the 57th regiment, with five of Gov. Tryon's men; they killed 14 of the rebels, one of which we hear is a major; we expect it will be attacked again very soon, but we are well prepared for them. The friends of government are making their escape as fast as possible, we have sent up to the Admiral one hundred within these few days, and many thousands we find, by the information of these people, will join the troops as soon as they can get to them, but at present they are not able, for the rebels disarmed them some time ago, so that they are not able to defend themselves against the villains who have eaten the poor farmers out of house and home; the waterside is guarded by riflemen, to prevent their getting off. This rebellion will not last long, when once we begin, for the friends of government are very numerous. I have nothing particular to mention, only that my poor school-fellow, John Harding, was drowned about six weeks ago, in a boat getting off cattle, and three of the men; my brother I shall not be able to see, I am afraid, before we sail, but hear that he is well, by one of my old acquaintances.

N.B. Captain Brothie, in the Eleanor is well, he is up at the wateringplace with the troops.