My Lords Commissioners of the Admty having communicated to you upon your late Attendance at this Office, the expediency of hyring a Number of armed Ships or Vessels to be employed as Coasting Convoys for the protection of the Trade of the great Trading Towns of this Kingdom; I have it in command from their Lordships to signify their direction to you to consider of the most expeditious means for providing a Ship capable of mount­ing 20 Guns at least at each of the Ports named in the Margin, to be employed as abovementioned for the par­ticular protection of the Trade of each of those Ports respectively, & to propose and settle Conditions upon which you conceive it may be most advisable to hyre such Ships & to make the same known, & treat for the hyre of a Ship of the force abovementioned, at each of the said Ports accordingly with all the expedition that may be.

And in order to forward the same, I have it further in command from their Lordships to acquaint you that they have directed the Regulating Captains at the several Ports abovementioned, to make known to the Merchants at those Ports their Lordships intentions on this head, & that if any of them are inclined to lett their Ships to Govern­ment for the purposes aforesaid, they will, upon applica­tion to your Board, be informed of the Conditions upon which they are to be hyred, & treated with accordingly, provided each Town respectively will raise Men to Man them, And the Regulating Captains are moreover in­structed to Correspond with you, & give you every In­formation in their Power respecting such Ships as may be tendered to you for this Service. I am &ca