Sir,

His Excellency the Governor being out of Town we are to acknowledge the Receipt of your Letters of the 13^th. and 16^th. Current.

Since the Governor's Letters to you of y^e 29^th. ult^o. and 10^th. instant, William Langford whom he proposed as an Exchange for one of the Midshipman of the Syren hath been discharged and Returned; and David Earl we are informed is dead, We now send you in the Cartel under the Direction of Lieut. Brown Seventy Prisoners and inclose a List of their Names.¹

Samuel Buffum a young Man hath been several Months confined in the Gaol at Newport. His Friends inform us that General Pigot will give him in Exchange for any able bodied Soldier or Seaman. We beg the Favor of you to apply for and send him in Return for One of those now sent you.

M^r. Vaughan acting Lieut. of the Syren² and M^r. Backhouse the Purser³ we propose to give in Exchange for Adam W. Thaxter and Esek Hopkins jun^r. who were acting Lieutenants of the Sloop Providence⁴ and are now Prisoners at Halifax. Upon your undertaking to procure them we will immediately send you M^r Vaughan and M^r. Backhouse.

We inclose you a List of the Prisoners belonging to this State whom we expect to receive in Exchange;⁵ and have no Doubt you will take the proper Steps for discharging them. Those who are at Halifax, if discharged there, may meet with great Difficulty in getting home. We would therefore be glad they may be sent to Boston or brought to Newport.

Besides the Prisoners belonging to this State we have made a List of all those now on board the Prison-Ship who appear by your List to have been taken in armed Vessels. Should you send us the Officers and Prize Masters of the Privateers we will give in Exchange for them the Warrant and petty Officers of the Syren. The Remainder of these Prisoners excepting the Captain we will send to you immediately in Case you will undertake to return us such Persons of equal Rank as shall hereafter fall into your Hands whom we shall write for—I am Sir, by order and in Behalf of the Council [&c.] 

The Foregoing is a Copy of a Letter to Sir Peter Parker. Nov^r. 19^th: 1777—There are but 70 Prisoners sent the Vessel being insufficient to carry more—