Gentlemen

The Committee of Safety have received & considered yr Favr of Octr 31st & can easily Foresee the necessity of Arms & Amunition being sought for during this Winter, and the proprietie of relaxing so much of the Association as might interfere with the prosecution of that business; we also wish you to consider whether the importation of Salt, might not be included in that regulation, as we are informed From all parts that the Clamours of the people begin to be high on Accot of that Article, and we greatly Fear the consequences if some method cannot be fallen on to Supply their wants ー we are sorry to say we hear nothing promising From Mr Tate, and are told Ld Dunmore has already collected a large quantity & is embracing every Opportunity, by seising what comes in his way, of increasing his store, we doubt not with an intention to test the Virtue of our people, when the want of that necessary Article, becomes more sensible among them.

Tho' we se[e] the Utility of the measurs adopted by the Congress For the importation of these necessaries, we at the same time ー cannot avoid contemplating the danger & almost insuperable difficulties, which in Our Opinion will attend the carrying it into Execution here, in our defenceless State without a single Armed Vessell to give the exports & imports even the Shadow [of] Protection ー this circumstance, with the bad prospect we have of the Former experiment in the Bills of Exchange, induces Us not to take upon Ourselves the adoption & Execution of this proposition, but to submit it to a Convention which is to meet the first day of December, And the determination shall be communicated to you if your continuing to sit in Congress shall prevent our having the pleasure of yr. Assistance.

Our best Accounts make the Force of Ld Dunmore & the Navy to be this. The Otter & Mercury 20 guns & 170 men each; in this number however are included those which man Occasionaly the Following tenders Vizt

4 Schooners, one of them formerly belongg to Mr Saml Griffin & seised at Norfolk

3 Sloops

3 Pilot Boats. On board these Tenders are some 4 & 3 pounders, besides Swivels

The William 14 Guns ー we don't know the number of men but believe those and the Land Forces intrenched at Gosport, amount to about 300.

The Eilbeck, a new ship pearced for 22 guns not quite fitted

A Brigg just arrived from New-York wth 500 stand of Arms, her Force not known.

The Number of Torys at Norfolk can't be ascertained, as they are mixed with our Freinds, who do not choose to declare until Our Army is there to protect them.

Nor can we fix the Number of slaves with Ld Dunmore & the Navy, some Accots make them about 100 Others less

Besides these Vessells, we have Frequent Accounts of their seising all that pass, we are told they are going to set up an Admiralty Court at Norfolk For their condemnation, (by whom we are not informed) and Suppose they will be inlisted in the Piratical service.

We are collecting as desired by the Committee of Congress an Account of the several depredations committed here & shall forward it, as soon as we are enabled to do so. the only persons we know at present to be detained by them (besides slaves) are Mr [John] Goodrich, who brought in the powder, Capt [Thomas] Matthews & Mr [William] Robinson, From Princess Anne.

We Sympathise with you in the disagreeable Feelings you must sustain On the disgraceful patience & Suffering of some of our people, which tho' confined to a very few will be charged to the Colony. The only Appology For them is the exposed Situation of their Families & property, the want of Arms & Amunition & their intermixture with Torys, who instead of Assisting were ready every moment to betray them. We could not protect them We had men enough, but, were left to ransack every corner of the Countrey For Arms, tents & other necessarys. The few we collected were unavoidably retained here For the protection of our Magazine Treasury & Records; both Regiments are now tolerably Armed & Our Troops are marching to Norfolk ー let Us have Credit For driving them off at Hampton, & For having ever since prevented their coming near the Shore there & up the [James] River as high as James Town, tho' they attempt to frighten Us with ab[surd] discharges of their Cannon

Pray may we not be favd with such proceedings of the Congress as are compleat & we are to conform to? What is become of the Confederation? We are told some Copies are in the Colony & condemned, whilst we can say nothing on the Subject, being Strangers to its contents. We have the Honr to be wth much esteem & regard, Gentn [&c.]

[P.S.] Since writing the Treasr informs Us Mr Tate has his Pans fixed & says he can make 150 bushl a week