[Extract]
Gentn

The Board of War for the State of Massachusetts-Bay having enter'd into Contract with your Mr Pliarne, (Copy of which he now forwards you) to supply them with a Quantity of warlike Stores & such other Articles as they may require to the Amount of Eighty Thousand Pounds Sterling; & Mr Pliarne having agreed that you Gentlemen, should accomplish the Business at Nantes, we inclose you Memorandum of the Articles we want, and which we earnestly request may be ship'd with all possible Dispatch from your Port. And as the Fire Arms are most necessary we pray they may come first & the other Articles in as quick Succession as maybe —

This will be handed you by Capt [Nicholas] Bartlett ² Master of our Brig Penet, & inclos'd are Invoice & Bill of Lading of her Cargo, which we doubt not your care in disposing of to the best Advantage This is the first Vessel we send in part of our Contract, and we beg you'll return her with all possible Dispatch, putting in her a proportion of the Articles for which we write making Insurance upon them, & every other Article you may ship us from France.

In a few Days our ship Versailles, Joseph Chapman Master will follow for Nantes loaded with Logwood & Mahogany which we hope will make you a tolerable remittance — we have other Vessels ready to sail for the southern States on this Continent, by which we shall send considerable Cargoes of Rice & Tobacco from thence to your Address — We shall also from time to time advance such Monies to Mr Pliarne (something of this kind we have already done) as he shall have Occasion for, & take every other possible Method of speedily fulfilling our part of the Contract. — It would be very pleasing to us to have a considerable part of the Goods in our Memorandum, shipt to us in French Bottoms, clear'd out for St Peters — In this Way we think the Risque will be much lessen'd & that it would be a very agreeable Introduction of your Vessels to our Ports: ³

Introduc'd to Gentlemen of your Character by our Good Friend Mr Pliarne, we flatter ourselves that our Connection with you will be happy — that our Business will be conducted to mutual satisfaction — & that you Gentn will have the pleasure of reflecting that in your Sphere you have contributed to the Establishment of Freedom, & Independance in America, from which you as Individuals as well as the whole Kingdom of France, will derive the most permanent Commercial Advantages — We are respectfully, Gentn [&c.]

By order & in behalf of the Board of War

P. S. . . .  As the Channels of Intelligence from Britain are much obstructed and the Plans of our Enemies seldom known till the Moment of Execution, the English News Letters, Parliamentary Debates, Magazines, & such, like Periodical Papers, as also the interesting European Intelligence by every Vessel bound to this State, will render us the most essential Service —

We have under our Direction a large number of Masts intend'd for the Royal Navy, but have no Vessels at present suitably large to send them to your Market; Would it not be possible for yoµ, to procure a Ship of sufficient Force from France to carry them? — perhaps the Ministry of France mig[ht] think this an Object so worthy their Attentjon, as to adopt some plan of getting them safely to your Ports —

[Enclosure]

Memo of Articles wanteq by the Board of War, which was inclos'd to
Messrs Jacques Gruel & Co —

20,000 Good Effective Fire Arms, des Fusils letique le Sieur Coule[vue] nous a Apportes, pour Eschantillons, avec leur Bayonettes et Bayatt[e] defer a bouton. —
30 Brass Feild Peices 4 & 6 pounders
1000 Barrels Powder — 150 Tons Bar Lead
300,000 Flints — 10 Tons German Steel —
40,000 four point Blankets —
70,000 yards Woolen for Cloathing for 20,000 Men at or about 4 Livres Tournois, not exceeding 5 — Hooks, Eyes, &c. &c —
132,000 Yards coarse Linnen for Soldiers Shirts at or about 1½ Livres pr Yard with Thread & Buttons —
20,000 Soldiers coarse Hatts —
3,000 peices Ravens-Duck for Tents —
40,000 pr Mens Shoes, strong & fit for Soldiers —
40,000 pr White Stockings ½ Linnen, ½ Woollen —
50 Bolts Ticklenburgs —
20 Tons Cordage from 1 to 5 Inches —
Medicines & Surgeons Instruments as pr Invoice —⁴
100 Boxes Tin Ferblance 1/3 x ore dune Qualite le plus execisse —
20 peices white Flannel for Cartridges —
2,000 pounds Twine — 50 doz Codlines —
5,000 Gun-Locks with what the English call good Bridles —
An Assortment Files value £200 —
Ditto of Nails £750 —
Borax £100 —
60,000 Yards Brown Russia Drilling for Waistcoats & Breech[es]