Admiralty Office 3d June 1777.
Sir,
Having laid before my Lords Commrs of the Admiralty your letter of the 27th ultimo, acquainting them, by Lord George Germain's Directions, with the Information his Lordship had received respecting a Brigantine fitting out at Amsterdam, to be laden with Arms & Ammunition for the Rebels in North America; I am commanded to acquaint you, for his Lord ships' Information, that if it is His Majesty's pleasure that Orders be given to the Captains of His Majesty's Cruizers to intercept the Brigantine above mentioned, it is necessary to be exceedingly particular in the Description of her, as otherwise it will certainly occasion the examining many Dutch ships, and probably the bringing some into Port that may not prove to be the Ship in Question, which will not only interrupt the Voyage of such Ship, but expose the Captains of the Cruizers who bring them in, to heavy Damages for so doing.2 I am &ca
P. Stephens
1. PRO, Colonial Office 5/259, 176-77.
2. Knox responded on June 10 that his informant was "not able to give a more particular description of the said Brigantine," PRO, Colonial Office 5/127.
