Dear sir I had the favour of your letter of the 29th March by the Lord Howe Tender who joined me the 6th instant, she had been so long absent that I was under a great apprehension for her safety: especially as I have seen two Rebel Privateers off the mouth of this River since I have been here, which on account of the Shoals and Tides I was not able to get at; both of which are an overmatch for such a miserable Vessel as she is. The one is a Brig carrying 18 four pounders and the other is a Bermuda Sloop of

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10 four pounders, and are fitted out with the intention of clearing the Coast of our Tenders.

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I have the greatest reason to believe the Philadelphia Fleet are upon their return home, which makes me wish exceedingly for another Ship to be with me in order to make the intercepting them the more certain: Yet as I am equally desireous to keep the little footing we have in Virginia secure, I cannot (I think) with any degree of propriety desire you to come roumd'to me until another Ship or Sloop shall arrive, which may be left for the,protection of the Fleet &ca in Elizabth River: which I trust must happen very soon, either from Ships expected under the command of Sir Peter Parker, or from the Admiral to the Northward from whom I am in hourly expectation of hearing.

Having thought it necessary in my present situation to strengthen my Ships company by every means in my power, and at t~e Same time th,inking it unsafe to trust my people & ammunition any longer in a vessel that can neither Sail, or is properly equipt for War; I have dismantled my Tender the Lord Howe and have Sent her round to Norfolk to be laid up; 'but if you can find me any. vessel that has the character of being a good Sailor and can be made to mount 10 Guns I should be glad you would send her round to me with the people who navigate the Lord Howe to Virginia and the Maria Sloop who accompanies her.

I have sent Mr Mason the Purser round with the Sloop in order to settle the business of the Ship, and shall be obliged to you'for any assistance that you can give him.

I am obliged to you for the account of the Act of Parliament, which I had before received from Philadelphia. I believe the officers & Seamen of his Majesty's Ships did not stand in need of any particular incitement to do their best in crushing this most unnatural rebellion; but since this great mark of the Nation's generosity towards them, they must feel a desire of acting still more spiritedly from the additional motive of gratitude, as in my opinion it is much more than they had any right to expect.

I have taken 6 or 7 small Vessels, but as none of them had Cargoes of much value, I rather chose to destroy them than weaken my Ships company by Sending men on board to Navigate them, but am sorry at the same time to tell you that I have lost my third Lieutenant who with three Seamen are now Prisoners with the Rebels. I sent him in a pilot Boat in quest of a Sloop that appeared in Sight, which he took and manned, and in returning to the Ship (in the night) he by some unfortunate accident or mistake run aground upon the beach at high water; 3 I wish of all things to have one of those flatts at Norfolk fitted a:s a floating Battery. I have written to Lord Dunmore on this head, and I should be glad you would give his Lordship every assistance about it that you possibly can.

I am not quite easy at your trusting the River entirely to the Otter, especially as I understd Captain Squire has again weakened his Sloop by fitting out a Second Tender, when in fuy judgment he has already many more men that he ought to Suffer to be out of his Ship on board the Fincastle; but as he has not Sent me any account about his Ship, I am in hopes he has by some means or other encreased his numbers, therefore suspend all opinion about it until I hear from him.

I have according to your desire Sent Lightbody round to You, who you will find to be very well acquainted with the Coast and at Least the mouth of the River Delaware. I am &c

A. S. Hamond

P.S. Instead of Lightbody I have sent you the Pilot Chambers.