Sr

In my Letter of the 25th of last Month by the Folkstone Cutter I acknowledged generally the receipt of your Letters of the 7th 14th 16th 20th 22d & 26th of June; I now set down to answer in detail such of them as require it, And beginning with the first, in which you give an Account of the Diana Schooner being attacked & burnt by the Rebels and inclose the sentence of the Court Martial held for enquiring into the cause of the loss of her; I am to acquaint you that their Lordships are well satisfied with the testimony given by the Court, and with what you have related, of the gallant Behaviour of the Lieutenant who commanded her, and of her Company in general  But they cannot for reasons that must be obvious to you think of making a precedent of compensating the Officers & Crew of the Kings Ships destroyed by the Enemy for the losses they may sustain on such occasions. The Cases of the Diana & Gaspee are by no means similar; Nor do I find that the information you have received of a compensation being made to the Crew of the latter is well founded.

Their Lordships approve of the application you made to Genl [Thomas] Gage to have the Boats at Boston belonging to the Rebels delivered to you for the Kings use; And they command me to acquaint you that as Flat bottom'd Boats may be very useful to you they have ordered Twenty to be forthwith provided capable of receiving 40 Soldiers & 16 Rowers each to be sent out by the Transports that are now directed to be taken up to carry 5 Regiments of Foot from Cork to Boston over & above the Yawls & Cutters which you have already been informed the Navy Board are directed to send to you; And as their Lordships apprehend that there may be a want of Fewell at Boston they have it in contemplation to order the Transports abovementioned to be ballasted with Coals for the use of the Fleet & Army; as also to cause the Ships of War which shall hereafter be sent to you, to take in an extra quantity.ー

Their Lordships will in consideration of what you represented as to the great discount as well as uncertainty of getting Money at Boston for Bills, direct the Navy Board to send to their Officer there a proper supply of Mony for the use of the Naval Department.

Their Lordships having taken into their consideration the Disposition you have sent them of the Squadron of His Majestys Ships under your command as also what you represent as to the want of more Ships to enable you to supply particular & urgent Applications from almost all the Colonies for protection & assistance, and for preventing improper Commerce & communication, have come to a Resolution to augment the Reinforcement that is preparing to be sent out to you; And conceiving that the Force mentioned in the inclosed Scheme will enable you to perform in the most effectual manner the Services upon which you are employed, They command me to inform you that in addition to the Ships mentioned in my Letters of the 24th June, 6 & 25th Ultmo which were then actually fitting out, and are now in great forwardness, they have ordered the Cerberus, by which you will receive this to remain under your command, and will send seven more Frigates to you of 32 & 28 Guns as soon as they can be got ready, to complete the Force beforementioned: But altho' you will find by the said Scheme that particular Numbers of Ships & Vessels are allotted to each of the Colonies within the extent of your command, their Lordships do not mean that you should therefore confine yourself to the disposing of your Force precisely in that manner, but leave it intirely to you to make such other disposition of it as you shall judge most likely to answer the important Objects to which it is to be directed.

The Lizard is now at Spithead under Orders to Convoy a Storeship freighted with Arms & Military Stores & Cloathing to Quebec, and then to repair to Boston. The Actaeon is also under Orders to Convoy from the Downes a Storeship freighted in like manner to Virginia and then to proceed to South Carolina, where, it has been represented, the presence of a Frigate is absolutely necessary But if you have made any other provision for that Colony and Georgia, you will in that case send such directions to Capt [Christopher] Atkins Commr of the Actaeon as you shall judge proper for his further proceedings

You will have observed by my former Letters their Lordships anxiety for the return of the three Guardships to England before the Winter sets in, and that the 50 & 44 Gun Ships are sent to you with a view to supply their Places; I am therefore to signify their Lordships direction to you that, so soon as any three of those 50 or 44 Gun Ships shall arrive at Boston, you do direct the Captains of the three Guardships to proceed immediately with them to England or at least two of them, and the third as soon afterwards as the Nature and importance of the Service upon which she is employed will admit of it.

I have acquainted you in former Letters that Mr [Marriot] Arbuthnot is ordered to proceed to Halifax in the quality of a Commissioner of His Majestys Navy for the better dispatch of His Majestys Naval Affairs in North America, that the Navy Board are directed to send out a supply of Stores for the Squadron under your command; It is their Lordships intention to send out further Supplies of every thing that may be requisite to enable you to carry on the important Services intrusted to your care; And they therefore recommend it to you to send them in your future Letters particular Accounts of the quantities & Species of Stores which you conceive may be necessary for that purpose.

Their Lordships also wish to receive with your next Letter an Account of the quantity and Specie of Provisions, not only on board of the Ships under your command, but what is in store for their use, And also the supplies which you can depend upon receiving from the Contractors, shewing how long the same will serve the whole Squadron at full Allowance

Their Lordships observe by the disposition you have sent them of the Force under your command that only One Frigate is stationed at Halifax for the protection of the Magazines there, But as Halifax is now become the only Place on the Continent of America where the Ships of your Squadron can be refitted or repaired, or from whence they can receive any supply of Stores they may stand in need of, It is of the utmost importance to His Majestys Service that His Naval Yard and Magazines there should be secured against attack from the Rebels: And their Lordships therefore earnestly recommend it to you to concert with Genl [Thomas] Gage the most effectual Measures to be taken for that Purpose understanding that the General will have received His Majestys Commands upon that head.

Their Lordships are of Opinion that it may be useful for the Ships that are to be sent out to you to be furnished with the private Signals you have made for the Ships of your Squadron to know each other; And I am to desire you will send me by the first safe conveyance a Copy of those Signals that their Lordships may distribute them as they see occasion &c

By the Cerberus

Scheme of the Naval Force intended to be employed on the Coast of North America

	Ships		Guns
At Boston		3	50		To lie before the Town attend the operations of the Army, secure the Transports, guard the passes & Cruize off the Port & Coast.
		1	44
		8 Frigates
		6 Sloops
		4 Schooners
		22
Rhode Island		3 Frigates			one at each pass & one Cruizing
New York		2	50		Two before the Town three Cruizing and three at the entrance of the River
		3 Frigates
		3 Sloops
		8
Delawar River		2 Frigates			One within the other Cruizing
Virginia		1	44		One at York, three in the Bay of Cheesepeck three to Cruize off the Cape on the Coast.
		3 Frigates
		1 Schooner
		8
Carolinas & Georgia		2 Frigates			Two in Port, Two Cruizing
		2 Sloops
		4
River St Lawrence		2 Schooners
Florida		1 Schooner
Total		50

Abstract of the whole.