His Majesty's Ship Phoenix Captain Parker arrived from England; she had sailed from thence with a Convoy of Victuallers and two Ordnance Transports for Boston, all of which had parted from her on the Passage. The Nancy a Brig laden with Ordnance Stores was one of the Convoy.
By the Phoenix the Admiral received Directions dated September 2d, to give Orders to the respective Captains and Commanders of his Majesty's Ships and Vessels under his Command "to seize all Ships and Vessels belonging to New Hampshire, Massachusets Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pensylvania, the three lower Counties on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia North and South Carolina, or owned by the Inhabitants thereof, except only in cases where it should clearly appear, from their papers or from other evidence, that they were bound to or returning from some Port or place in Great Britain, Ireland, or his Majesty's Islands in the West Indies, but this Exception was not to extend, or be applied to such Ships or Vessels as might have Arms or Ammunition on board, which were to be seized in all Cases whatsoever, unless it should appear that the Arms and Ammunition had been shipp[ed] with license either from his Majesty in Counsil, from the Master General and Principal Officers of the Ordnance, or under the usual Clearances from the Commissioners of the Customs: and he was to cause all Ships and Vessels, which should be seized in the cases beforementioned, to be carried to some British Port, not within the twelve associated Colonies, and there detained 'till further Orders, or be proceeded against according to Law, as the nature of the case should require.
But, as by the above Order the Rebels might draw Supplies of Provisions, Rum, Melasses, Salt, Naval Stores, Cloathing, and in short every thing except Arms and Ammunition, from either Great Britain, Ireland or his Majesty's Islands in the West Indies; And as it would, if given to the Captains of the Kings Ships, invalidate those Orders from the Admiral, which they had long before acted under, to bring all Vessels laden with the Articles above enumerated to Boston: The Admiral thought proper to forbear carrying any part of it into Execution until he could receive their Lordships further Instructions thereon. Indeed the Clause directing Vessels seized to be carried "to some British Port not within the twelve associated Colonies" was almost impossible to be obeyed in the then State of things; for it would have employed half the force under the Admiral's Command to convoy the Prizes into Places of Security apart from the twelve associated Colonies.
The Admiral also received by the Phoenix their Lordship's Orders dated September 7th to increase the Complements of the Ships of Twenty four and Twenty Guns and also of the Sloops The Ships by the addition of twenty, and the Sloops by the addition of ten Men each: And their Lordships Order July 14, 1775, to cause all Ships and Vessels to be examined for Letters, and to send to their Lordships all such as should contain any matter tending to aid, abet, or advise the rebellious proceedings of the Kings Subjects in North America.
The Admiral was also acquainted by Mr Stephens in his Letter of July 24, with the Navy Board having Directions to send a flat bottomed Boat in each of the Vessels hired to bring Provisions for the Squadron and in a Letter of July 25, with the Names of the Ships which their Lordships had ordered out as a Reinforcement: that Rear Admiral Shuldham would proceed in the Chatham to serve under his Command; and that Captain Arbuthnot was appointed a Commissioner of the Navy to reside at Halifax for the better Superintendence of his Majesty's Naval Affairs in South [sic] America. In this last Letter were the following Words "I have it in Command from their Lordships to acquaint you, by this opportunity, that they entirely approve of your Proceedings."
By a Dispatch of August the 9th the Admiral was informed that the Navy Board was directed to cause twenty flat bottomed Boats to be sent to Boston by the Transport Vessels taken up to carry five Regiments of Foot from Ireland: and, by one of September 6th, that the Lizard convoyed the Jacob Store Ship with Arms and military Cloathing and Stores for Quebec, and the Liverpool the Maria Store Ship laden in like manner for Virginia; In which last Letter is the ensuing Paragraph, "I have received and communicated to my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty your Letters of the 16th and 18th of July, giving an Account of your Proceedings up to that time; and in return I have the satisfaction to acquaint you their Lordships very well approve thereof."
By a Dispatch of September the 9th the Admiral was commanded to cause the men belonging to the Ships and Vessels seized and detained to be distributed amongst the Men of War to compleat their respective Complements, and to bear the Remainder as Supernumeraries until further Order.
Intelligence having come by the Phoenix, that arrived the 9th of some Transports and Victuallers under her Convoy having parted from her, the Admiral, being apprehensive that these by droping in singly and unacquainted, might be in Danger of the Rebel Cruizers, immediately sent Orders to the Mercury, who was the same day come up to Boston, from her Cruize, to go out again and keep the Sea a Fortnight longer for their Protection.