His Majestys Ship the Isis under your command being to Continue in this Port, until further order, for the Pro­tection of the Transports assembled here, & to be em­ploy'd on such Services as may occur, having references to the Opperations of the Army: You are during your continuance of that Service, to observe relative thereunto, & for the better security of Transports whilst at Anchor, the following General Instructions —

I

Each Ship of the Fleet is to remain in such Station whilst at Anchor, as may be from time to time directed, according to the change of Circumstances incident to a service of this complicated nature; But of which the Captains will always have sufficient Notice, The Ships are to be kept in constant readiness to cut, or Slip, and put to sea, or to proceed on any Action or Service within the Port as Occasion may require, and that no discovery may be made by the Enemy of the Precautions taken for the security of the Transports & other Vessels attending upon the Fleet during the Night; the Captains of the Ships of War are allways to have an Armed boat lying along side, or otherwise in readiness to be immediately put into the Water; to be employ'd in stopping & examining all Vessels whatever endeavouring to pass near, or thro' the Fleet, by their several Stations: which attempts they are to prevent by every means in their Power; And they are moreover to Keep at least one third of their Ships crews under Arms, as the other necessary Duties of fatigue or Service in the course of the preceeding days will permitt In order that they may be found better prepared against any sudden Attempts which. the Enemy shall presume to undertake —

II

No boats are to be suffered to pass the Ships of war without being challenged: nor Officers or others to be absent from their Proper Ships after the watch is set; Except the Guard-boats, declaring themselves to be such when hailed, or such boats, & Persons as may be employed on the business of the Service: All other boats are to be stopped and examined, & if found to be absent from their respective Ships, contrary to the intent of these Instructions, they are to be detained, and a report is to be made of the Circumstances to the Commander in Chief in the morning. Pursuant whereunto all Persons passing thro' the Fleet after the watch is set, are to Obey the Call of the Centinels from the different Ships & to relate on demand the occasion of such their Absence from their proper Ships accordingly: As Orders will be given to fire upon such Persons as shall resist, or refuse Obedience to this Injunction

III

The Guard boats for the out guards that will be dailey appointed in due time, being suitably provided with Fire Arms, Cutlasses, Half Pikes, Grenades, & Fire Grapnels, and commanded each by a trusty Petty Officer, are to be Kept always passing backwards & forwards on each part (not exceeding one or two Miles at the discretion of the Lieutenant of the Guard) to windward of the Fleet as the tide & weather will Allow — And when it may be necessary to relieve the boats crews from the fatigue of a too constant duty of this kind, they are to be permitted to wait along side, any of the weathermost Ships, Armed of the Vessels, or Frigates lying without the Body of the Fleet; Or to return to be changed successively at their respective Ships, as the Lieutenant of the Guard shall direct — They are not to permitt any boat to pass them during the Night but such (as have been first examined) they see reason so to do comformable to the purport of the preceeding Article; nor to suffer any Vessel whatever to approach the Squadron at that time
The Guard boats of each Division, (if more than one is thought necessary to be so appointed) are to be commanded by a Lieutenant, named dailey for that duty. which Officer is to collect from the different boats under his Orders, & deliver a report of the Occurrences on his Guard to the Admiral or other Chief Officer appointed to receive the same by Eight of the Clock the next day; But the boats of his Division are to be dismissed to return to their respective Ships at relief of the Watch (or Gun fireing in the Morning.

IV

A Watchword will be dailey given for the Guard boats to distinguish each other; They are only to be communicated to the Lieutenant having the Watch in the different Ships, & the Officer commanding each of the Guard boats: — And if the Lieutenant of the Watch in any ship sees Occasion to call a Guard boat onboard to him of which he is doubtful in the Night & demands the Word; it is to be privately given by the Officer of the Guard boat, to the Lieutenant meeting him at the Ships side for that Purpose —

V

When it shall happen that any Guard boat passes a Ship of War from whence it has not been hailed — agreeable to the tenor of these Instructions the Circumstances of the Omission with the Ships name are to be reported —

VI

The Ships of War Anchored on different Parts of the Fleets are to use force occasionally for the examination and detention of any Boats or Vessels Steering into, or passing near the Fleet at any time contrary to the intent of this appointment. On which account & for the due observance of these Regulations, the most public communication of them is to be made in the different Ships respectively —

Given onboard His Majesty's Ship the Eagle
off New York the 8th June 1777