Sir

I have the Honor of inclosing to your Excellency a Deposition taken upon Oath before His Majesty's Chief Justice of Dominica and at the same time that I beg leave to recommend the Contents of it to your Excellencys Serious consideration, and have no doubt but the Complainents who accompany it will receive from your Excellency such protection and Justice as the Nature of their cause shall require. —

It is with concern Sir that I am obliged to take this oppertunity to acquaint your Excellency that I am informed and in such a manner as I cannot doubt the truth of it, that Vessells are fitted out Armed and Commissioned from the Port of St Pierre's in Order to make Piratical Depradations upon the Coasts of this Island; This I am told is done by one of His Britannick Majesty's Rebellious Subjects now residing at St Pierre's in the Character of an Agent or Charge Des Affairs ² from a Number of my Masters Rebellious Subjects in America who Stile themselves the Congress; This proceeding I beg leave to acquaint your Excellency is matter of great concern and Alarm to His Majesty's Loyal Subjects here, looking upon this Piratical kind of War never made use of even at times when there was an open Rupture between the Two Nations, which is by no means the Case at present, and I hope your Excellency will excuse me when I beg leave to submit it to your Excellencys consideration whether this kind of proceeding and the great countenance and protection Shown in a Public as well as private manner to His Britannick Majestys Rebellious Subjects may not have a tendency to interrupt the Peace harmony and good understanding which at present Subsists between the two Nations and which I am perswaded is the intention of both our Masters to preserve.

I have sent my Aid De Camp Major Grove express with this to your Excellency who will have an oppertunity of explaining to your Excellency the particular reasons I have for Addressing your Excellency in this manner; I am sure I need not Recommend Major Grove to your Excellencys favour and protection while at Martinique and in his Return to this Island. I have the honor to be, Your Excellency's [&c.]

Dominica — 8th Jany 1777
His Excellency Count D'Argout
Governor General of the Island of Martinique
And it's Dependencies &ca &ca &ca