In my last, I promised to give you as full an account as I could of our present disturbances here. You will observe by my different letters, of the Resolves, that hath from time to time been entered into here, by the Congress, Councils and Committees, all of which seem in one part or other to distress trade and ruin thousands. Your schooner Maria, would haye sailed by the time appointed, had not the Delegates for this Province arrived before that time, and brought positive orders from the Continental Congress, to admit no vessel whatever to depart the Province before the first of March, which the Congress here agreed to. Some of the masters of vessels applied for liberty to go away in ballast, but were refused. There was at that time about twenty vessels in port, which were obliged tamely to put up with these orders, they having no redress, and being in hopes that they would be permitted to sail on the first of March. About the 15th of January arrived at Cockspur, three of his Majesty's ships, viz. the Tamer, of 16 guns; Seron [Syren], of 28 guns; and Cherokee, of 10 guns: This alarmed the people on shore, being apprehensive they came to destroy the town, although it was declared they only came for provisions, and not in a hostile manner, provisions were refused them, so now began the worst of our troubles. The country ー was immediately alarmed, and as many people as could be got were brought to town: those who were disaffected to their cause, were either disarmed or bound up by a parole, and not to aid or assist any of his Majesty's ships or troops with any thing whatever, or go on board. This parole was only granted to persons of character. The Council of Safety, Resolved, to put the town into a state of defence in the best manner they could, and accordingly erected a two gun battery on one of the Wharfs, and another above it on a hill of eight or 10 guns; at the same time sinking a vessel about two miles below the town, in the narrowest part of the channel, to prevent the vessels coming up. ー This alarm caused a general move of the property of the inhabitants out of town; I moved as much of the store goods as I possibly could, on board the Maria, and ordered her a few miles up the river, at that time thinking it the safest place; some time. after this the Seren of 28 guns sailed, which eased the minds of the people a little: but greater was the alarm, when the Scarborough, of 20 guns, and two transports with Marines, arrived. The inhabitants then could not be convinced that they came in a hostile manner, though assured to the contrary. This arrival caused the Council of Safety to pass a resolve, to confine the Governor, and his Majesty's Council, to the Province, and oblige them to give their parole that they would not quit the same: some time after this, they demanded a second parole, which they refused; as that was the case they thought themselves cleared from the first The Governor with his family made their escape, and got on board the Scarborough, and have remained there ever since. This gave a great alarm, which still encreased, when one of his Majesty's ships, with some armed vessels and the two transports, made their appearance about four miles below the town. U pan expectation that all the vessels would be permitted to sail the first of March, I removed the schooner down the river again about the 25th, in order to be in readiness; and on the last of February three vessels got permission to depart the Province with their cargoes, but the Council of Safety reconsidered that resolve, and made a second one, that no vessel should depart before the first of May, for fear the rice on board should fall into the hands of the King's troops. On the second the vessels below the town weighed anchor (except one to command there) and proceeded up the back river, a river not at all suspected by the inhabitants. They fired several shot from their battery, but to no effect. The Hinchinbrook, of ten guns, was to go up this back river and come down a breast of the town; at the same time the marines from on board the transports landed on an island a breast of the town, marched over the same and got on board the shipping about three o'clock in the morning undiscoverd. The Hinchinbroke unluckily got a-ground, so was of no service. The marines being on board, orders were given to remove the shipping as high up the river as possible, intending to carry them down the back river, at this time mentioning, they only came to carry off the shipping in order to get the rice, and not against the province. The people on shore knew nothing of the troops being on board, until they sent off some of their people to order the vessels to be unrigged, and the rigging sent on shore, agreeable to a Resolve of the Council of Safety, the day before: this messenger was detained, which gave them some suspicion. They then sent two other messengers, who were likewise detained; at this they hailed several times, but to no effect, they then began to fire with their musquetry to no purpo~e, they then dragged some cannon to a convenient place, and began to fire, which was returned by one of the merchantmen with four guns, and continued for some time. About four o'clock, the tide answering, orders were. given to get under way, and proceed up the river as fast as possible: the people on shore finding this, and their cannon not suiting the intended purpose, they resolved to do all in their power to burn the shipping; they accordingly went on board one of the ships lying much lower than the rest, and set her on fire; she belonged to London, was fully loaded, and worth about 13,000 I. sterling: this ship drawing too great a draught of water to drift up the river. They then got a schooner, hoisted her sails, set her on fire, and turned her adrift. This vessel unluckily caught the Nelly, Captain Fletcher (of Liverpool) which was likewise consumed, and had it not been for the activity of the seamen in towing these fire-ships on shore, many more must have shared their fate. On the 4th, the ships of a large draught of water were obliged to lighten by throwing some of the cargo overboard. After many difficulties we got down here with the schooner and about ten other vessels, it not being possible to get the remainder away at that time.