To His Excellency the Govenor of the State of Maryland,
Please Your Excellency,

We the Ships Crew, of Your Honours Ship the Defence, We humbly petition your honour, the many difficulties We Labour Under at present, and hopes your honour, will looke Into the Same

Namley the times Is so hard, and our wages So Small that it will not find us in any Sort of Cloathing at present; We are allmost, Bearefooted, and some Quite so, which Is pushing Your honour's Subjects, without Consideration from your Honour, And Council, will Render us Useless for doing the Ships duty

Secondly the Article Spiritious liquor we: formerly did daly Receive Is keept from us for these Sixteen days and upward's which is better to us this Could Weather then our Vituals

Thirdly our pay is from Fifty Shillings to three pounds per Month Current money of the Said provence, which Scarse finds us in the articles of Shoes and Stockings, so we leave it to your honour to Judge what we are to doe, as for our parts we know not, Without applying to your honour In this manner, for if we do not Gett our proper allowance we Will be Obliged to Quit the Service, We have no more to adde at present, but an Answer from youre honour will much Oblidge your honours Subscribers—

Hopes your Excellency and Council will take the above Into Consideration, We the above Subcribers has Served the State almost 2 Years and Some part of the time Could Buy Articles for Wearing at a Much more Reasonable Rate, then at present.

Cooper—3.7.6 ⅌ M^o

Carpenters Mate 3.11.3

Cooke—3.7.6

Master at Arms 3.15.—

Armourer—3.7.6

The above pay ⅌ Month is allow'd by Congress.