By the Brig John bound to Virginia, the Admiral wrote to the Earl of Dunmore, Governor of that Colony to assure his Lordship that it would give him great satisfaction to be able to send him such a naval force as would effectually command the navigation not only of the great rivers but of the whole coast, but at present the King's Squadron in America was barely sufficient for the Northern Provinces and really would not admit of being lessened except on the most urgent occasions; that if government should think fit to enforce the laws, and compel the Americans to do what was right for themselves, his Majesty's fleet in these Seas must be considerably augmented, and he should then avail himself of his Lordship's hint respecting the great rivers, which empty themselves into the Bay of Chesepeak, by sending there what force could be spared, and that he should be happy at all times to receive any information from his Lordship for the good of the King's service, and was extremely concerned the weak state of the Squadron would not at present admit of his sending any more Ships to the Southward. The Admiral informed his Lordship that Captain [John] Macartney was sent to relieve Capt; [George] Montagu, heartily to cooperate in every measure for the Kings service and give every assistance in his power; and that, altho' there was little reason for such an expectation, the Admiral sincerely hoped the people under his Excellency's government might yet accept the terms his Majesty most graciously held out to them, before it was too late, return to their duty and thereby avert the miseries impending if they persisted in their present senseless and rebellious proceedings. The Admiral added that he presumed his Lordship was no stranger to the transactions of the rebels in this and the neighbouring provinces; that on our parts we were anxiously expecting arrivals, and the ultimate determination of Great Britain with respect to her colonies, now avowedly in arms and contending for absolute independence and empire.