Whereas the Armament intended for an Expedition to the Southern Colonies was, in the preparation of it & before it could be collected at Cork, met with so much delay from contrary winds, bad weather, & other accidents and, since it's leaving that place in order to proceed to it's destination, been dispersed by most violent Gales of wind, by which the two Bomb Vessels & Tender, with the Transports, Storeships & Victualler named in the inclosed List, have been forced back to the places against each exprest & many of them disabled; And whereas, in this situation of the Expedition (from which, had it proceeded, great advantage might have been expected) it is. become doubtful whether any of the Objects of it can be now effected at least without exposing the Troops to great risque, & retarding, if not defeating, the Operations under Major General Howe, of which those Troops were always intended to make a part;

If, therefore, upon the arrival of the Armament off Cape Fear, the Major General Commanding the Troops shall, upon mature consideration of all Circumstances, be of Opinion that nothing can be expected which will be of real and substantial Service & advantage, or that the making any attempt will expose His Majesty's Troops to great Loss from the Season being too far advanced & that there will be a hazard of disappointing the Service to the Northward, And should, in that case, desire to proceed immediately to join Major General Howe with his whole Force, or such part of it as shall remain after he has provided for the assistance & support of the Friends to Government who may.have taken up Arms in the Southern Colonies, if he shall think it adviseable to make such provision, You are hereby required & directed, upon his signifying such his desire to you, to proceed with the Ships under your command & the: Troops; with all possible expedition to Boston in New England, or to such other place as you may learn with certainty the General with the Army is; And if the Admiral Commanding in Chief His Majesty's Ships & Vessels in North America, should not be at the same place, you are to join him with the Ships under your command wherever he may happen to be, & follow his orders for your farther proceedings; taking care, before you quit the Southern Coionies, to leave, upon proper Stations on the Coasts thereof, such of the King's Ships & Vessels of your Squadron as, with those which may be em.ployed there under like Orders, you shall judge expedient & necessary to assist & protect His Majesty's well disposed Subjects & to obstruct and defeat the measures of the Rebels; and also to station a Ship or Sloop off Cape Fear to look out for, collect, & convoy to Boston, any of the Transports, Victuallers or Storeships of your Fleet which may happen to be missing at the time you leave the abovementioned Colonies.

And whereas the Commander of the Thunder Bomb Vessel has acquainted us that he should put to Sea again the first opportunity of wind & weather in order to follow you, And we intend that her Tender, together with 'the the Transports, Storeship & Victualler named in the before mentioned List (except the Aurora Transport which is to sail directly from Cork to join you, & the Levant Victualler which, as she did not arrive at that place in time to sail with the Sphynx, is now intended to be sent to Boston) shall proceed to join you as soon as they can be collected & got ready, under. Convoy of His Majesty's Sloop Ranger by whose Commander you will receive this, you are, upon their arrival, if you have rio particular service for the Thunder Bomb, to send her & her Tender immediately, under proper Convoy, to Boston, to follow the Orders of Vice Admiral Shuldham, or the Commander in chief there for the time being; & to send with them, the Carcass's Tender if she shall be with you, as we mean to dispatch the Carcass herself to that Port so soon as she is refitted, she having received so much damage that there is no probability of her rejoining you soon enough to be of any use.

You are not, upon any account, to detain the Ranger any longer than may be necessary for you & the Major General to prepare any Dispatches which you may have to send to England, and then to hasten her away with them to Spithead; directing her Commander to transmit such Dispatches, by Express to our Secretary immediately after his arrival, and to remain there until he receives further Order. Given under our hands the 8th March 1776.

To Sir Peter Parker Knt Commander in chief of a Squadron of his Majts Ships & Vessels employed on a particular Service.

[Enclosure]

A List of the Ships & Vessels which have separated from the Squadron under the command of Commodore Sir Peter Parker, & put into the places against each exprest.