Sir

Since the Letter I had the honor to write you of the 3d of October last in answer to yours conveyed by His Majesty's Sloop the Weazle I have received a Duplicate of your Letter of 30t September (the original of which is not yet come to hand) inclosing four Papers, and giving an account of the proceedings of His Majesty's Ships under your Command up to that time all which were immediately communicated to my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for their information. I have also received and communicated to their Lordships your Letter of the 29th October with the State and Condition of the Ships under your Command which came in your said last mentioned Letter.

Their Lordships have appointed the Druid Sloop and Kent armed Ship to sail with the Trade from Cork for the Leeward Islands and Jamaica which they expect will be ready to proceed in a few days from this The Kent is directed to continue her Voyage to Jamaica with the Ships intended for that Island but the Druid is to be employed under your Command until the first convenient opportunity of your returning her to England with the homeward bound Trade.

From the disappointments which there have been in respect to the arrival of the Ships in England under the Convoys appointed for them both at .Jamaica and from the Leeward Islands which disappointments have occasioned great uneasiness to the Merchants concerned in the said Ships, Their Lordships to prevent as much as possible the like happening in future command me to signify their direction to you to order the Captains of the Convoys which you may hereafter send home to be particularly careful for their safety, keeping them together by every means in their power And on no Account to leave them on pretence of their not sailing so fast as to be able to keep in Company, their Lordships expecting that the Convoys shall in the course of the passage accomodate their progress to the worst sailing Ships that may be under their Care.

Their Lordships have under consideration the appointing two other Convoys One to sail from Spithead as soon after the 20th Instant as the weather will permit, the other from Cork as soon after the 20th of next Month as may be convenient. I am &c

P.S. What you mention in your Letters abovementioned respecting the Pomona gives their Lordships great pain for her safety as Admiral Gayton takes no notice of her in his Letter of the 4th November.

Vice Admiral Young, at Antigua
(By the Packet same Day)
Duplicate sent 5 Feby