Sir

Your Excellency can make no request or proposal for the good of his Majestys Service that I will not readily attend to, and heartily assist to carry into execution, whenever there is a Probability of Success. Before and since I had the Honour of your Letter, I have been making the most diligent Enquiries about Marblehead and Cape Anne Harbours. At Marblehead I am informed the Rebels have a Battery of twelve Guns, two of them 18 Pounders the rest of less Calibre; they have also partly fortified Cape Anne. Frigates cannot be in either, without being expcy,ed to certain destruction: At Cape Anne the outer Road is foul, narrow and greatly exposed, and a Ship once into the inner Road cannot get out again without a leading Wind; the Enemy would naturally forbear annoying her while the Wind continued favourable to depart, but the moment it became contrary the worst consequences might be apprehended: nearly the same Danger attends lying at Marblehead.

It is indeed beyond dispute that the Rebels have several small Cruizers in the Bay, who have every advantage over the Kings Ships in point of sailing; and being light Vessels, drawing little Water, the whole Country their Friends, can lie under the Land, and, upon observing a Vessel or two unguarded, dart upon them suddenly, and carry them off even in sight of the King's Ships.

All the Vessels now cruizing in the Bay, which are the Mercury, Nautilus, Canceaux and Hinchinbrook, have Orders to go into Cape Anne and Marblehead Harbours, and if possible destroy or cut out every Vessel they find there; but my late Intelligence from these places gives me no Hope of their succeeding.

The Advantages your Excellency mentions would undoubtedly result from the Kings Ships being able to lie constantly in Marblehead and Cape Anne Harbours. I therefore humbly propose as the only means of effecting it to destroy both Towns as soon as possible. Your Excellency is so much better qualified than I am to judge of the Numbers necessary for such an Expedition that I give my opinion with the greatest Deference; but I humbly apprehend three hundred Soldiers, with two good Frigates, would seize the battery at Marblehead and destroy if not bring away the Guns; and with a little Assistance from the Artillery bum the Town. And I also submit to your Excellency's consideration whether we could not with a thousand Men seize, and keep Possession of the Peninsula of Cape Anne. The Harbours would then be Ours. I am &c.