[Admiralty Office] 20th August 1777
My Lord.
I received on the 10th Ultimo, and immediately laid before my Lords Commissrs of the Admty your Lordships Letters of the 5th & 8th June, giving an Account of the proceedings of the Fleet under your Lordships command, and of the occurences which had happened, up to the dates of those Letters. In return, I have the satisfaction to acquaint you, that my Lords approve of the orders you have given for taking into the Service an armed Brig of 14 Guns, to replace the Hinchinbrook Schooner, as also those for paying Gratuities — in the proportions you mention to the Masters & Crews of the Transports who distinguished themselves in the last Campaign.
Their Lordships are much concerned for the Repulse, of the loss of which they think there cannot now be a doubt, as the Letters received by the Convoy's lately arrived from Jamaica & Leeward Islands, give no account of her arrival in any of the West India Ports.
My Lords have acquainted the Navy Board with the Expedient you have suggested for facilitating the Repairs of the cruizing Ships, and have directed them to give the necessary Orders to Commissr Arbuthnot to send to New York from time to time such a Number of Artificers as your Lordship may inform him are requisite for that purpose, as well as to encrease the present Establishment of the Yard to enable your Lordship the better to carry on the Service.
Their Lordships understand from the Navy Board, that, besides a large Assortment of Naval Stores, they now send out by the Grampus Store ship a Supply of Beds and Slops for the Fleet, & Beds for the Troops on board the Transports. Their Lordships have directed them to' send by the same conveyance a Supply of Cloathing for the Marines; And they have ordered the Commrs for Sick & Hurt to send by the same conveyance also a large Supply of portable Soup for the Fleet, as well as the Naval Hospital.
The Navy Board are now lading a Ship of 400 Tons with an assortment of Stores for Halifax; and it will be of great use to them to be informed as early as possible of the future Supply's your Lordship may foresee a want of, as well as of the places, and the proportions to each place, your Lordship would wish to have them sent.
My Lords were greatly astonished to find, in the Copies of the Intelligence you transmit from Sir Peter Parker, that no less than four Rebel Frigates, and fourteen Privatier Brigs, Schooners & Sloops, had escaped almost at the same instant of time from Boston, Marblehead & Salem, to rendezvous off Cape Ann, not having before received the least intimation either from your Lordship, or Sir Peter Parker, of so considerable a force being assembled or fitting out in those Ports. Your Lordship has been informed by Vice Adml Montagu of the Mischief the Hancock & Boston have done within the limits of his Command. The Tartar has made her appearance in the North Seas & taken or destroyed several Trading Vessels; And the Miffiin supposed to be the other of the Rebel Frigates abovementioned, has done the like in the Northern Entrance of the Irish Channel. Their Lordships have no distinct Account of the smaller Privatiers; but from the Numbers they have heard of, in the various Tracts of the Trade of His Majesty's Subjects on this side of the Atlantic, there is reason to believe that they are some of them: Your Lordship will conceive, more easily than I can describe, the Alarm which this must have spread among the Trading part of His Majesty's Subjects in general; and, while so many of the Kings Ships are employed in America, how difficult it will be, if it be possible, for their Lordships to comply with the numerous Applications, that are in consequence daily made to them for Convoy's, being unprepared for so unexpected an Event.
The Merchants trading to Quebec, in particular, have so strongly represented the ruin which must inevitably befal their Trade if not duly protected this Year, that my Lords (not knowing what provision your Lordship may have been able to make) have judged it proper to order the Warwick which sailed the 7th Instant with the Canada Cloathing &Trade for the River St Lawrence, to return again to England, with the homeward bound Trade from that River, instead of proceeding to join your Lordship as was at first intended.
There having been several vague Reports of Line of Battle Ships being building by the Rebels, my Lords desire your Lordship will please to be very particular in transmitting to them any Information you may have received upon that Subject.
The Lively which your Lordship understood from Vice Adml Gayton was to come to England with the Convoy, is arrived in so bad a Condition that it will be necessary to pay her off. I am &ca
Vice Adml Lord Viscount Howe at New York By the Venus Duplicate by the Maidstone 20 Septr —
