Gentlemen

We Arrivd hear Late Last Wednesday Night, & the Cutter ² Got up to pileren [Le Pellerin] thursday & Afriday We Went on bard her in order to Giv the Nessesary orders for fiting her after Doing this We Went Down to Pain Bea£ (Paimboeuf] in order to procure All the American Seamen in our power We Was tolerable Suckcesfull We have Now Nine Americans Engaged lncludeing Captn Clarke&' the Docktor ³ the Captn, and the Crue that Came from Haverdegrass in the Cutter is Inclined to Giv us Sum trouble but I am in hopes We Shal be Able to take Such Measures as Will prevent them from Doing any Dammage the Cutter is a fine Stout vessail And much Better than I Expected She Would be for the purposes intended We Shal mount her With 10 Carrage Guns And 12 Swivels & About 30 men She is Now in the Carpenters Hands & I am in hopes We Shall be Able to Get her fitt for Sea in 6 or 7 Days I Shall Remain hear with Captn Nicholson Until he Gets things in A fair Way & then Make the Best of my Way for L'Orient I think our Little Squadron Would Recv, a very Nessesary Addition of Streng[th] if joined By Captn Johnston of the Lexington if he is Not Distened for Any Particular Service or Cruize Would be Glad if he Would join me I think you Would Do very Well to procure the Kings Pass for All persons Who Comes from parris to this With your Dispaches or on Any Other Urgent Business Where Despach is Required I think this hint Nessesary on Account of A Number of Delays that We met With from the postmasters & post Boys Comeing Down & I Beleav We Should hardly Got here yet if We had not forced them to procead by Beating &hard Threats from Gentlemen [&c.]