[Extract]

My Dear Sir

I am greatly Obliged to you for your favour of the 6th of Feby which found me at Home sick & Confined, but had the Intended Effect it really made my Heart Glad. the want of powder you & I have often bitterly Lamented and if the pleasure of having it, is to be in proportion to the pain we have felt for the want of it, we may have a right to rejoice on its Arrival. I wish I could in return give you An Acco of the Arrival of the Brigt from Bilboa, but I hear nothing of her lately, I am in a poor situation to give you Intelligence from our Colony I left Watertown before the Court rose sick, & have been Confined to my House ever since I got home ... when are we to Expect measures more Capital. is this Spring & Summer, & the precious Moments thereof to be spent in treating and Negotiateing with the Agents of the British Admn from whence we can derive Nothing but [illegible] disunion poverty & oppression, or shall it be spent in Treating with foreign Embassadors, settleing an Entensive & Lucrative Commerce from which we may derive Union, Security, Riches, & Freedom. your Principles, & Love for your Country will lead you to regret the time spent in the first & to wish to be Employed in the last. you have to Encounter all the Subtlety & arts high and low of the 39 Commissioners, & at the same time the Moderation, the Timidity, the Interests and prejudices of many among us. if the Union of the Colonies is not Injured by this measure of Admn I think we shall have little to fear from them in future. I thank you for forwarding us a Pamphlet which has made so much Noise to the Southward. it is really a most Excellent thing. I Admire every part of it. Surely there never was A Book, in which were to be found A Title & subject more strongly Connected by Nature & Reason. it has done most Eminent Service. it has Convinced, Converted & Confirmed in every place, & has prepared us for the Grand decisive measure my Soul has longed for. ー
² we hear the Fleet has been gone sometime I am very Anxious to hear from them. do mention [illegible] Success they meet with in your Next.
³ no prizes taken [illegible] our Armed Vessels are Building with all Expedition. I hope we shall have 5 or 6 of our 16 Gun Sloops at Sea by the first of May ...