Gentlemen,

I Received yours 18th Ulto Inclosing a Letter to Capt Thos Kennedy, also directions &c Relative to the Distination of his Voyage,² at the time your favour came to hand Capt Kennady was Loaded & ready to proceed on his Voyage & agreeable to your directions I fill'd up the Bills Lading, and Inclosed them as you desired to your friends at Havre De Grace in France, and being obliged to go into the Country, I wish'd Capt Kennedy a Good Voyage, & sett out on my Journey but on my return (which was in a Week) I was Suppriz'd to find Capt Kennedy still in port, and the Ship detained by Capt Seth Harding of an arm'd Brig belonging to this State, I emmediately sent an Express to his Honor the Govenour to know if it was by his order that the Ship was detained but received no answere, and as the Govenour & Council where setting in this Town I came up here to see if the Ship might proceed on her Voyage, and Last evening I waited on them, and at their request I am clesired to keep the Ship in Port untill I receive your further orders for her Sailing, as they think you will consent to have her unladen at N[ew] L[ondon ], when you receive the inclosed depositions of Sundry persons in N L which was sent to his Honour by the N L Committee setting forth the great difficulty there is in getting out to Se.a without falling into the hands of our enimies and further that the Govr & Council think that incase part of the British Troops should make an excursion to the Eastward, the article of Wheat would be much wanted here being none & is now at a Dollar pr busl as to what is said in one of the depositions reflecting on Capt Kennedy[s] Conduct being not friendly &c I must in Justice to his Character say, that I believe him to be as Good a man as could be imployed in the buissiness you was pleased to Honor him with. True it is that the greatest part of his Ships Crew were persons that have been brought into America by our Crusing Vessells (having only four persons besides himself but was in that Situation on board) it being impossible to get any other, as to the men of Warr Crusing of[f] the Harbour at the time Kenedy was to Sail, there where four at Anchor of [f] Gardiners Island, and our intention was to have Sailed through Fishers Island Sound, and into the Vinyard & over the Sholes, as the day before a Ship taken by the Cabot was bro't into N L that way, by an excellent pilot who I ingag'd to take charge of Kenedy, arr:l it was his opinion that he could carry him out, thus I have mentioned the Facts, and the Ship will be detained untill I here from you again which I hope will be Soon, as I think the Wheat is been too long already on board & begins to take damage, and where it mine I would rather sell then Ship it & Load the Ship with Flex Seed, but must Say that their is no seamen to be had only such as are taken in Brittish Ships the risque of having such people you must be Sensible is'worthy of consideration, those that Kennady employed were as Good of the kind as could be had & seemed much averse to be taken by any of the Brittish ships & what is in their favour in my opinion they refus'd taking their Months advance before Sailing choosing rather to have it on their arrival in £ranee. I emmagine I can dispose of the Sead on Board for near the first Cost if you determine to give up the Voyage I have not to add but am Gentlemen [&c.]