My Lord

I had the honor to receive on the 23d ultimo by the Bristol your Lordships Letter of the 12th and 18th of December last, giving accounts of the disposition you had made of the Ships and Vessels under your Command; and having laid the same before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty I have the satisfaction to acquaint your Lordship that they entirely approve thereof; I at the same time received and laid before their Lordships your Letters of the 22d and 27th of December the fori:ner acquainting them with your motives for permitting Captain [John] Tollemache to return to England, the latter with those for sending home the Bristol both of which my Lords likewise very well approve of, and command me to inform you that not intending to send Captain Tollemache back to New York they are pleased to leave it to your Lordship to appoint a Commander to the Scorpion Sloop in his room. My Lords are also pleased to leave it to your Lordship to appoint a Lieutenant to the Amazon in the room of Lieutenant Paton who was ordered by Captain [Maximilian] Jacobs to command the Lord Howe armed Vessel in the absence of Captain [Thomas] Pringle, and who came home a Passenger in her upon Captain Pringle resuming the Command

In my Letter of the 14th of January last I had the honor to acquaint your Lordship that it was the intention of the Board to send out to Quebec a sufficient number of Supernumerary Seamen to supply the' place of the Men who have been lent to the Craft upon the Lakes from the Triton Garland and Viper Sloop that those Ships and Sloop might not lie inactive but proceed on any Service for which they might be wanted. I am now to inform your Lordship the 200 Seamen will accordingly be sent out by the Proteus Armed Ship and Porpoise Sloop, two Vessels which have been purchased to carry to Quebec the Camp Equipage, Cloathing Ordnance and Naval Stores for His Majesty's Forces in Canada, the former mounting 26 Guns with 160 Men, and the latter 16 Guns with 125 Men; They will proceed under the command of Captain [Philemon] Pownall of the Apollo, in which Ship General Burgoyne is to return to Canada, and as the General has upon an interview with my Lords represented that besides the Seamen which have been allotted for the Service on the Lakes in consequence of the Plan delivered to Sir Charles Douglas by Sir Guy Carleton, two or three hundred more may be wanted to man the 'Boats and for other Services there, their Lordships think it will be expedient for them to give discretionary Orders to Captain Pownoll to furnish such a further assistance of Seamen, if it shall be found absolutely necessary, until such time as he receives Instructions from your Lordship upon that head, as well as for the disposal of the Ships and Vessels in the River St Lawrence

The Experiment which arrived at Plymouth on the 9th and the Bristol which came to Portsmouth on the 23d past are under Orders to be refitted, and will be sent back to your Lordship as soon as possiqle.

The Isis and Swift Sloop are now at Spithead in readiness to convey from hence 1000 British Recruits when the Transports which are waiting at Sheerness to receive them can get round They will be accompanied by the Camel of 24 Guns, and the Bute hyred Armed Ship of 30 Guns, appointed to carry the Camp Equipage for the Army under General Sir William Howe, and to proceed afterwards to the West Indies to be employed as Convoys to the homeward bound Trade.

I have only to add that the Ariadne a Twenty Gun Ship lately built at Chatham with a Copper Bottom, is nearly ready for the Sea, and will be sent out to your Lordship without delay. I have the honor to be &c

P: S: Since closing my Letter I have received your Lordship's Letter of the 15th of January, and shall lose no time in laying it with it's Inclosures before my Lords Commissrs of the Admiralty

Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Howe at New York Duplicate sent by the Ariadne

B the Albion