My Lord

I received on the 19th Ultimo by Captn Fanshaw of the Carysfort, the Honor of your Lordships two Letters of the 1st and 6th & two of the 13 of Feby last which with their several Inclosures were immediately communicated to my Lords Commrs of the Admty.

The Private Signals enclosed in the first mentioned Letters will be given to the Captains of such of His Majesty's Ships as shall from time to time be order'd to join you for their guidance until your Lordship may Judge it necessary to make any alterations therein.

As to the Doubts & Difficulties Stated in your Lordships Letter of the 6th of February with respect to the Holding of Courts Martial, and the insufficiency of your power to restrain by proper punishment the Criminal Excesses committed by the Seamen belonging tothe TransportVessels, my Lords Command me to acquaint you that, as the former depends upon the construction of an Act of Parliament, they cannot take upon them to decide thereupon; but that they wiH order a Case to be stated for the Opinion of Council & transmit to your Lordship a Copy thereof as soon as it can be obtained. With regard to the latter, their Lordships are inclin'd to think that Naval Expeditions might perhaps be carried on with more advantage to the publick service if the Masters & Crews of Transport Vessels were subject to Military Law, but that it is very much to be doubted whether Parliament would adopt such a Measure, if it were to be proposed, and that all that can (be] done at present, is, to take the Opinion of Council, upon the Matter stated by your Lordship for your future guidance, which will be accordingly done & transmitted to you without delay.

My Lords entirely approve of the account you have given of your proceedings in your Letter of the 13th of Feby numbered 22; as also of the permission your Lordship has given to the several Officers to return to England for the recovery of their health, whose Applications for that purpose, with the reports thereupon, accompanied your Letter of the same date numbered 23, and are pleased to permit your Lordship to fill up the vacancies occasioned thereby except those in the Carysfort, which Ship being in England, their Lordships will send Commissions to the Lieutenants who are now acting in her by virtue of your Lordships orders. The Allowances to be annexed to the Extra appointments your Lordship has made are now under the Consideration of the Board & I shall have the Honor to send you their Lordships determination thereupon by the next conveyance, which will probably be very soon.

The Raisonable sail'd from Plymouth on the 22nd Ultimo with orders to Cruize for one Month between the Island of St Pierre & the entrance of the Gulph of St Lawrence, for the protection of the Victuallers &ca bound to Canada, and then to join your Lordship.

The Nonsuch sail'd from Plymouth on the 23d & the Augusta on the 28th Ultimo with orders to proceed immediately to your Lordship, having on board the Aids du Camp and the dispatches that were to have been convey'd in the Albion, which Ship having received considerable damage will be replaced by the St Albans whose Captn will have orders to take under his Convoy the remainder of the Hessian Chasseurs and the Waldeck Recruits, which are dayly expected to arrive at Spithead.

The Isis, Camel, Swift Sloop, & Bute Armed Ship sail'd from Spithead on the 27th ulto with the Transports & Storeships named in the inclosed List the Transports having onboard the British Recruits mentioned in my Letter of the 4 Ulto and the Storeships the Ordnance Stores for the Fleet& Cloathing & Camp necessaries for the Army.

The Apollo Captn Pownoll is now in Hamoaze waiting for a Slatch of Wind to proceed to Quebec with General Burgoyne, & to carry into execution the orders of which I enclose your Lordship a Copy.

Their Lordships having found it absolutely necessary to send the Ariadne to the West Indies instead of Ordering her to join your Lordship, intend that the Blonde shall supply her place. The latter is now at Spithead waiting for the Proteus & Porpoise with Camp Equipage & Cloathing for the Army in Canada, & having seen them & the Trade bound to Quebec as far as the Island of Bic, will proceed without a moments loss of time to your Lordship. The Proteus & Porpoise being the same kind of Ships as the Bute and Camel when they have discharged their Cargoes will proceed to the West Indies to serve as Convoys for the homeward bound Trade. I have the Honor to be &c.

By the Somerset
Duplicate sent 12 Apr
By the St Albans
By a Messenger on the 4h at 2 in the Morning