D: Sir I am today favored with your two letters of the 27th & 28th; In which your attention to every part of the uncouth Service you are unexpec-, tadly saddled with, gives me cause to regret the delaies that detain me here, only because I might take some of the trouble off of Your Hands. Next Wednesday is appointed for me to receive my civil commission, & to kiss hands upon that occasion. I am promised that all my Orders shall be made ready for me by that time; To read them over, meerly to see that ! have been apprised of their Contents, will be the only remaining act which I shall have to do in Town. Hence, I reckon upon being at Portsmouth by Friday Evening at the latest. The Civil Branch of my appointment will however most probably detain me from Sailing, after you, if you should be previously departed for America, until about the Monday following. I shall in that case reckon, if we fail to cross upon each other in our voyage, that I shall have called off of Boston, and still be on the Spot to meet you by the time of your arrival at the Point of your secret destination.

Your own care about the State & preservation of the Flatt Boats, as well as the suggestions of the Builder, and assiduity of the Commissioner, cannot fail to engage the Approbation of the Admiralty & Navy Board; as fully as they certainly will every testimony dependant on me to impress a just sense of those merits and doubt not but that I shall have good opportunity to point them out, when we come to use the Boats on Service, as their condition for it, will be justly ascribable to those judicious precautions. Permit me to request, if you have leisure to do it, that you will assure the Commissioner of my grateful acknowledgements for those & other instances of his goodness: Particularly for the obliging offers of a retreat in his House; which however, my intention of embarking immediately after my arrival at Portsmouth will disable me from benefiting by as he has had the goodness to propose.

I much feared that the Genl [Leopold Philipp] Heister will find inconvenience from the unsuitable-provision that was made for his Passage from the.Weser. I was informed that a ship with particular good accomodations, had been provided for them to move into at Portsmouth.

It is reported here, that the General has pleaded to postpone his departure from Portsmouth, until the nine remaining transports shall be arrived. The Wind was to the Westward of the North this morning, and I am thence in hopes, I shall be in time to concert the arrangements with you, for the passage out & at the place of your destination, which may facilitate the principal service in view, and rendering me useful, furnish me. an opportunity which I shall ever most ardently covet, to prove the particular esteem & regard with which I am Dr Sir [&c.]

Let me submit to your consideration whether it will not be of advantage to inquire of the Caps of the Frigates what Number of Men they can respectively furnish to employ in Flatt Boats, and I shall be glad to know the same of the Preston.