[Extract]
By &c
Whereas Captn Cornwallis late Commander of His Majesty's Ship Pallas, at present under your command, did by his Letter of the 30th of January 1776 from Sierra Leon on the Coast of Africa, represent to Us, that having received information there, that several American Vessels belonging to the Rebellious Colonies had got up the different Rivers upon that part of the Coast, and were hiding themselves there until he should be gone, when it was expected they would come out and probably get supplied with Powder and Ammunition from the European Vessels, he had judged it necessary, as the Pallas, could not go up those Rivers after the said American Vessels, to take into His Majesty's Service, a small Vessel for that purpose, and to guard that part of the Coast; and accordingly had hired a sloop called the St John belonging to the Proprietors of Bance Island; appointed Lieutenant Agnew to command her; established her with a complement of Thirty Men fifteen of whom he had discharged into her from the Pallas, leaving the remainder to be completed from the Merchant Ships on the Coast and the men who belonged to her before, and left her under Orders to keep constantly cruizing for the abovementioned purposes2 . . .
. . . Given &c the 20th February 1777.
