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Sir,  I eagerly embrace this Opportunity which the politeness of Lord William Campbell, &, of Captain [John] Tollemache has afforded me to communicate with your Excellency on the Affairs of this Colony.

My Duty to His Majesty's Service requires me to represent to your Excellency, that the Cruizer Sloop of War is by no means a sufficient force for this Station at present, This River alone, to which there are two Entrances, in my humble Opinion, might fully employ a 20 Gun Ship besides, and the Coast of this Province, that is near three Hundred Miles in Extent, and full of little Inletts, would require I should apprehend, at least two, if not three more Armed Vessels to watch it, and effectually to prevent the introduction of War like Stores, in which I have great reason to think there have been already considerable Importations, & according to my Information, much larger Supplies are continually expected, that it will be next to impossible to intercept, unless some Cruizers are stationed upon the Coast for that purpose.

His Majesty's Sloop Cruizer, under the Command of Captain [Francis] Parry, whose Zeal, and vigilance, omits no occasion to promote and forward His Majesty's Service, to the utmost of his power, is become my best asylum in the present time of Confusion in this Country, as in this Situation I find myself able at once to attend to the business of the Province, and to communicate with His Majesty's Minister and Officers, which in present circumstances of the Colony, I could not do in any place of Security that I could find in the interior Country, which is the only part of this Province not yet poisoned with disaffection, and alienated from the King, and in a state of preparation to act offensively against His Majesty's Government. The smallness of the Cruizer, renders me an inconvenient Guest to Captain Parry, I am very sensible: and therefore I the more lament it; while I am bound to acknowledge, his politeness Teaches me to forget every inconvenience of my own, arising from the want of better Accomodations.

I beg your Excellency to be assured however that I do not presume from any Selfish reason, or consideration of my own convenience, to represent the necessity of a Larger Ship being Stationed here than the Cruizer. I can accomodate myself chearfully to any Circumstances, which the necessities of His Majesty's Service may require me to Submit to, but the principle upon which I humbly offer my Sentiments to your Excellency, on the propriety of sending a larger Vessel here, is, that this little Fort which is to the last degree contemptible, is nevertheless a necessary Door of communication with the Country of whose internal Strength 1 hope to avail His Majesty's Service greatly, whenever my Hands are properly Strenthened, and the safety of this place that is without a Garrison suitable to its Defence and Destitute of Powder, will depend entirely upon the aid it may receive from the King's Ships, and which can neither be expected, or afforded, in any effectual degree, by the Cruizer, as I am sure your Excellency will admit.

I beg leave on this occasion humbly to recommend to your Excellency's consideration the expediency of establishing some regular, and constant Channel of intercourse with the Southern Colonies, by which the King's Governors might hold your Excellency, and the Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Land Forces apprised from time to time, of all such Circumstances as it might be necessary for His Majesty's Service, to communicate to you, and him, which they cannot longer attempt by Land, since the violence that have been done to the Post Offices, and Mails ー and which is not to be effected by water conveyance, as there are not Vessels, or charges allowed for such purposes by Government ー and that it will be hardly possible in these times of disaffection, to procure Vessels on any Emergency for such Service. The utility and necessity of such an Establishment as I have proposed to your Excellency, is the more evident to me, from the ill consequence of false Account circulated by the People of New England of the affair at Lexington, anticipating many Weeks General Gage's relation of that matter, to which the first false impressions, that gained over Multitudes of People to side of Rebellion, have not yet yielded in any degree.