Honoured Sir:

We are engaged in fixing out Captain Peter Roberts, the bearer, in a small sloop, for a privateer, and have to ask the favour of you to assist him in procuring a commission for that purpose, as we are all pretty much engaged in privateers, powder vessels, recruits, &c., and cannot, with any convenience, come down. If you will stand in with Captain Roberts, as a bondsman, we hereby engage to stand between you and harm, as though our names were down instead of yours, in the bond. ² We are, Sir, [&c.]

P.S. The sloop Game Cock, burden about twenty tons.