My Lord/

I esteem it a Duty incumbent on me to make use of the Opportunity which presents itself (by Lieut Breyntons return to England from the Pembroke,) of paying my Respects to your Lordship & of acquainting You with the present State of Affairs in this Province.

Apprehending a probability of the Rebels attacking Halifax, Lord Howe was pleased to give me Orders to proceed here with his Majestys Ship I command, & to take the Direction of all the Men of War stationd in, & near, the Province of Nova Scotia; I arrived here the 21st of Sept & Commissr Arbuthnot did not oppose my taking upon me the Authority his Lordship had been pleasd to vest me with; convincd doubtless of the Impossibility of any one Persons going through the various Duties of Governor, Commodore, & Commissioner: only one of which, I beg leave to assure Your Lordship, has taken up almost every Moment of my Time since my being here.

As one of my first Wishes is to be honord with your Lordships approbation of my Conduct, I will entreat your leave to enter into a little Detail of the most material Things which have happend since my Arrival.

After sending the Liverpool to Canso, to secure that very valuable Fishery, which had lately been continually ravagd by paltry Privateers, I made the best disposition I coud, (with the Advice & Approbation of the Lieut Governor) of the rest of His Majs Ships stationd in the Province: every Thing remaind Quiet except Rumors of intended Attempts by the Rebels, which were not believd till the 6th of this Month, when the Lieut Governor receivd Information, that an armd Force was assembling near St Johns (New England) & upon This, & the Councils application to me for a Man of war to be sent from hence "to the Rivers Kenebeck, Penobscot, & Pasamquody for Intelligence" I directly orderd his Majs Sloops the Albany & Diligent to go to Sea, with the Directions mentiond in the Paper I take the Liberty of sending for your Lordships Inspection, marked No 1.²

And General Massey applying to me for a Man of War to convoy a Vessel loaden with Provisions for Fort Cumberland, (which by some strange Neglect had scarce any remaining) I sent Capt Dalrymple in the Juno to perform that Service, & afterwards to look in at Annapolis [Royal], where if He found every Thing quiet, & the Inhabitants under no Apprehensions of a visit from the Rebels, He was to proceed on a Cruize between that Place & Mount Desart, which effectually securd the Mouth of the Bay of Fundy.

The Milford had saild for the Coast of New England some little Time before, Her Orders are in the Paper No 2 — Capt [John] Burr being too much indisposed to go to Sea, I gave Capt Mowat (whose Abilitys when He surveyd that Coast recommended Him to your Lordship) an Order to command the Milford; & my first Lieut Mr Hyndman (who was with Adml [John] Byron round the World,) the same Powers to command the Albany Sloop, which Capt Mowat was removed from.

The Chain of Cruizers I formd for annoying the Enemys Coast, & securing that of this Province, was as follows.

The Milford — stationd from Cape Cod — to Monhagen

The Hope 14 Guns — from Monhagen — to Mount Desart

The Juno — from Mount Desart to Passamquodi, & so up to Cape Sable.

The Lizard — & 2 small armd Vessels, from Cape Sable allong the Coast of Nova Scotia, to Liverpool — (which is about 20 Leags from hence to the Westward.)

I informd these Captains, of each others Destination, in order for-their. mutual Assistance shoud they ever be obligd to retreat from very superior Force.

Lord Howe having been pleasd to direct that the Commissioner & myself shoud send a Cartel Vessel to Marble Head with Rebel Prisoners, in order for their being exchangd for an equal Number & Rank of His Majs faithful Subjects, We bird a large Sloop of 100 Tons, & a Schooner; & sent 179 Rebels in them; directing the Commissary who had charge of them to apply to Mr Nathl Tracey at Newberry Port, whom the Inhabitants of the rebellious Colonys had vested with Powers to settle & ad just the Exchange of Prisoners.

Capt Dalrymple executed' his Orders & convoyd the Provision Vessel safe up to the Bay of Fort Cumberland, where finding from Col [Joseph] Goreham that the Garrison under his Command, was free of Apprehension from the Rebels, He proceeded to Annapolis; and finding no Alarms there from the Enemy, nor any particular Cause to induce his Stay, He pursud the rest of his Orders in cruizing for the Annoyance of the Enemy & the Protection of the faithful Subjects of the Crown.

It was the 17th.of this Month.that the Juno saild from Annapolis; and on the 9th, Govr Arbuthnot receivd Advice, that the Communication between Windsor (44 Miles from hence,) & Fort Cumberland, was cut off by the Rebels; & that the Ferry boat was taken by a Pirate Vessel of 8 Carriage Guns; upon which I immediately dispatchd the Vulture Sloop (who was just arrivd here from England) into the, Bay of Minas, with the Orders your Lordship will be pleasd to peruse, markd No 3.³

And upon the certainty that Fort Cumberland was actually invested by a Body of Rebels, I immediately sent Directions to the Captain of the Albany to proceed instantly to Fort Cumbd together with the Diligent, & throw as large a Body of Men & Officers into it, (to assist Col Goreham in its Defence,) as coud be spard from the two Sloops: And in order to prevent any Demur about carrying Troops in the Men of War, I furnished Genl Massey with an Order addressd to the Caps of any of His Majs Ships in the Bay of Fundy, to use the best means in their Power to perform that Service, & to cover their Landing; — & likewise with another, for them to supply Fort Cumberland, & Fort Edward (at Windsor) with any Provisions which their Sloops coud spare, & the commg Officers of these Garrisons shoud make Requisition of.

I have presumd to be thus particular that your Lordship may form a Judgment of my warm Zeal & Attention to his Majs Service,.& in the flattering lfope that I may merit (a Reward highly prizd by me) the Honor of your Lordships Approbation of my Conduct. .

There remains but little more for me to acquaint yr Lp of; the Provision Vessel was taken by the Rebels, 3 Days after the Juno left. Cumberland Bay, the Serjeant & Ten Soldiers on board Her were made Prisoners, asleep, & nothing but the Cowardice ofthe Rebels prevented the Fort from being surprizd in the same Manner; to remedy this Inconvenience I have sent one of the Victuallers from hence, with Ten of my own Seamen added to her Compliment, & Genl Massey directed an Officer & 20 Marines to embark in Her for Fort Cumberland.

We haye since learnd, that this Body of Banditti are not near so formidable, as the first Fears of the People represented; they have.no Cannon, & do not exceed 3 or 4 Hundred Men; Col Goreham has 260 in the Fort, & Major Batt embarkd on board the Vulture at Windsor with 400 fine Troops 3 Days ago, for Cumberland, (which is not above 20 Leags distant,) so that we daily expect to hear of the flight of this maroding set of Rebels.

I must beg leave to express my Opinion of the perfect Security of Halifax for this Winter; for tho the Enemy might possibly find a way for Men thro the Woods, it is impracticable to.convey Cannon without a Road & the only one to this Place, is by Fort Sackville (11 Miles off,) & lies by the Water side; allong which I think I may answer, to prevent any being brought. By Sea, the Ship I have the Honor to command, is able to engage all the Force that the rebelious Colonys can set forth; besides wh I propose keeping one or two of the smaller Men of War during those Winter Months when it is impossible (in this Country) that they can keep the Sea to cruize.

I beg leave to present my respectful Congratulations to your Lordship, upon the happy Success of His Majs Arms in the Province of New york, & on the Lake Champlain; the People in New England (I'm well informd) begin to be heartily tird of the destructive War they have forced the Parent State to Wage against them; & I trust a very few Months will restore "Tranquillity to this distracted Continent; & make them pant to return again under His Majs mild & gentle Government. I have the Honor to be with the greatest Respect Your Lordships [&c.]

I shall dispatch on Tuesday next, a Convoy of 20 Sail of Transports & Victuallers for New York, under the Protection of 3 Frigates: Capt [Maximilian] Jacobs of the Amazon is here but [h]as declind interfering with the Command of the Port.