Admiralty Office 15th Janry 1776.
My Lord,
Your Lordship having acquainted Us, by your letter of the 4th instant, that it is the King's Intentions every effort should be made to send relief to Quebec as early as possible, & that for this purpose three Ships of 180 Tons each have been contracted for to carry Provisions. And Your Lordship having at the same time signified His Majesty's Pleasure that one Fifty Gun Ship two Frigates and a Sloop of War be forthwith prepared to accompany those Victuallers, and to be ready to sail by the Middle of February, and also that two large Vessels be taken up to serve as Transports each of sufficient Tonnage to contain Provisions for Six Months for 300 Men, and likewise Accomodation for about ten commissioned Officers of His Majesty's Land Forces, and 188 Noncommissioned Officers & private Men, with half the Baggage & Camp Necessaries & Women belonging to a complete Battalion, and that these Vessels have each a Lieutenant on board. We are to acquaint Your Lordship that, in pursuance of His Majesty's said Pleasure, the Ships named in the Margin, being both of them large Ships are taken up, & are fitted to serve as Transports, & that Lieutenant Thomas Pringle and Lieut Anthony Parry, who lately came Express from Quebec, have Our Orders to take charge of, & proceed, the former in the Lord Howe, the Latter in the Bute; And as these Vessels, together with the Ships of War mentioned in Your Lordship's Letter, will be ready by the time His Majesty hath been pleased to direct, We are to desire Your Lordship will signify to Us the King's further Pleasure whether any particular Directions are requisite to be inserted in the sailing Orders to be given to the Captains of His Majesty's Ships & whether some of the Men of War may not proceed to Sea, & make the best of their Way leaving a proper Convoy for the Protection of the Transport Vessels. We are &c
Sandwich. J Buller. Hugh Palliser.