You are hereby required and directed forthwith to reeve the Provisions on board his Majesty's Ship under your Comma[nd for] three Months of all Species, and are then to Sail to the Island [of] Dominica, there to complete your Wood and Water, and having [so] done; you are immediately to proceed to the Island of Barba[does] and apply to William Senhouse Esqr Surveyor General of hi[s Majts] Customs at Barbadoes and the Leeward Islands &c. to grant the usual Deputations for your self and two other Officers belong[ing] to the Ship you Command, to enable you more readily to execute [the] different Services expected to be performed by his Majesty's Ships and Ves[sels] in these Seas, as expressed in the general Orders you have received [from] me, Dated the 9th Instant
You are afterwards to proceed to the Island of Tobago, Gre[nada] and St Vincent; Where, you are in pursuance of the Kings pleas[ure] Signified by one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, to make enquiry into the State of Trade &c. and to see that no encroachments are made in any part of them, and you are on your return to this harbour to make report to me, of the results of such enquirys, and Observations [in] order to my Transmitting them to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to be laid before his Majesty: this enquiry you are constantly to repeat at all the different Islands within my Comm[and] whenever you shall be sent to any of them, and so long as you shall continue on this Station.
You are likewise from time to time to correspond and Con[sult] with the Governors of the several Islands within the extent of [your] different Cruises, in what manner the Ship you Command may be employed in guarding the said Islands, and protecting their Trade, and are to govern yourself according as shall be agreed upon at [such] consultations, as far as you shall be able, without running the Ship into any very apparent danger, taking care she is consta[ntly] employed in the most effectual manner for the preservation of [the] said Islands, their Trade &c. and you are not to neglect the s[ame] upon any consideration whatever: And Whereas the due performance of these Services will require that the Kings Ships u[nder] my Command should be kept at Sea as much as possible, and the [lives] of the Men belonging to them, depends in great measure upon [them] not being suffered to idle away their time in Port, where they fall [into] drinking and other Debauchery; you are therefore required and direct[ed] never to go unnecessarily into Port, with the Ship you Command or to rem[ain] there longer, than the wants, and necessities, or any public Service you [went] in upon, shall unavoidably require.
You are to remain in the aforesaid Service till the 30th Ju[ly] and are then to return to English Harbour, for further Orders durin[g your] Cruise you are by every opportunity to transmit me an account [of] the State and Condition of his Majesty's Ship under your Command together with such intelligence as you may receive, and judge proper for my knowledge, and in case you should gain any Intelligence that you think I ought to be made immediately acquainted with, you are then to make the best of your way with such intelligence to this Harbour, or whatever other Island you shall hear of my being at. For which this shall be your Order:
Given under my Hand on board the Portland in English Harbour Antigua the 17th June 1775
By Command of the Admiral Geo: Lawford.
