Sir You being recommended to His Excellency as a proper person to transact the business of the Severall Armed Vessells fitted out, or to be fitted out at the Continental expence ー will be pleased to Consider what follows as your Instructions

1st When any of the Continental Vessells put into Cape Ann you are to Supply them with Such necessarys as are absolutely wanting ー when any prize is Sent in, you are without delay to go on board, receive all the papers on board, and transmit them by express to Headquarters ー

2 You are to make out an Inventory of the Cargo, as near as you Can from the papers found on board, or information from the Master or Mate of the prize all possible Care that Can be taken Must be used, to prevent any embezzelment of the Cargo ー or of the Captains, Crews or passengers, private property, which must be given up to them, except Some extraordinary Circumstances Shaud arise, to Make an alteration of this order necessary ー

3 All Sailors belonging to a prize to be detained with you, or Sent to a neighbouring town where you may think them more Secure, untill you receive orders from Headquarters for the further disposall of them ー

4 all prisoners of whatever Rank, or denomination to be treated with the utmost Humanity & tenderness ー

5 As you are appointed a Continental Agent only, if the Officers & men chuse to appoint an Agent for their one third of any prize taken ー they May do So, in that Case you are to permit him to take a Copy of all papers relating to the Cargo, & when the vessell is discharged, you Must give unto Said Agent a Copy of what was on board ー

6 the Hulls of all vessells taken, with all their apurtenances to be carefully Laid up in a Secure Port untill further Orders

7 Whatever advice you at any time have respecting the armed vessells or prizes that is Material, you will Send up to Headquarters by Suitable Oppertunities ー

8 forasmuch as the port of Cape Ann Lyes Convenient for the Armed Vessells to run into, When in Want of Provisions and other necessarys ー you will. Lay in on the most reasonable terms, 12 barrells of beeff and 12 barrells of Porke, 20 barrells of bread will be orderd to you from Beverly where a quantity is reserved for the use. of the Armed Vessells, and as you Supply any vessells with a part of these Articles you are to replace them So as allways to Keep up that quantity on hand you must take the Stewards receipt for every thing you Supply ー

9 As the Harbour of Cape Ann is not Lookt upon as Safe to Lay up, any Prizes or their Cargoes, you Must as Soon as possible, have Such as may be brought in there ー sent up to Beverly, where William Bartlett Esqr is by his Excellency appointed an Agent. you and Mr. Bartlett Must agree amongst yourselves about the terms upon which you will do business of this Sort for each other ー the Commission allowed to all Agents is two and one halfe perCent on Sales of any prizes &c and the Same on the amount of provisions & necessarys Supplied the vessells with ー

10 In Makeing up your Accounts you are to remember that the Original bills or Invoices are to be Sent as Vouchers ー that your own account is to be Genl and at the bottom an affidavit of the justice of your Accounts ー this is not done from any jealousy or Suspicion but that the utmost Satisfaction may be given the Country and that all Agents May be on the Same footing ー

You will at all times give the utmost dispatch, &if any irregularity, Misconduct, or Negligence in the Officers of any vessell, you are desired to give imediat information to the General

shoud any of the Vessells unnecessarily remain in Port you are to give orders to the Commander to proceed forthwith to Sea, Should he refuse, you are to demand his reasons, & transmit the Same to Headquarters

By his Excellencys Command

Head quarters [Cambridge] 1st January 1776