We are all hearty and in good Spirits. The People from the Country are coming in and enlisting daily. On the 16th February Francis Proctor with Seven~y Montrosses Sailed for Carolina in a Brig.
On the 17th Fleet Sailed from the Old Kill Road; the Pilot left them about three Leagues distance from the False Cape, Steering to the Southward.
On the 27th a French Tartan arrived with Arms and Powder, a Brig belonging to one Hodges of this place with 300 Stand of Arms 24 Tons of Powder and Linnen from Amsterdam.
Our floating Battery is Launched, she is to mount Eighteen 9 Pounders, 200 Men and 18 Oars to be Stationed at the Fort, where Two Piers is to be sunk to swing the Chain, A Brig and three New York Pilot Boats arrived with Powder; the Brig was a Sloop Lengthened at New York, she is purc[h]ased by the Congress to carry 110 Men and to Mount Sixteen 4 Pounders and 16 Oars. 3 They have been trying the River to Sink Shiver De Frieux at Marcut's Hook. The association Act does not take the effect they expected, the'y talk of a Convention and lay aside the Assembly but it is opposed.
. . . There is a great many.people who want to get on board His Majesty's Ships if they could tell how. they go on very brisk with their Frigates, the Guardship will be launched next week, she that belonged to New York is now called the Lexington Captain Barbut;
I believe she will not be readily manned, ー if the people could get any encouragement to go into His Majesty's Service and be sure of a Discharge at the end of the Troubles, for a great many has engaged out of necessity, but are very unwilling. . They have used the Prisioners very ill that was taken at Egg Harbour; put five of them in a Dungeon in Irons .
. . . They expect many Vessels and there is several going out to Sea. There is a great many New England Vessels here for Flour and other Pro".isions, which will be ready to Sail next week, I wish we could have a Cruizer or two to inter~ept them.
