Sir,

The Store-Ships not being completely ready to proceed earlier with the Chatham, I have opportunity by that Ship, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the first of November,¹ on the Subject of the papers of Intelligence therewith enclosed: The Ariel not arriving here until the 30^t. past.

I am much concerned that upon an occasion of so great importance to the King's Service in this Country, I am unable to assure you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that such sufficient precautions have been taken as promise those advantageous consequences, which from the circumstantial matter of the Intelligence, might be reasonably expected. Their Lordships adverting to the State of the Ships; The different objects to be necessarily attended to, in their arrangement; And the nature of the Services on which they have been without intermission employed, as more particularly noticed in my former Letters; they will be fully apprised of the Grounds on which that representation is founded.

The appointment of the Raisonable, before ordered to Halifax for an opportunity to procure the requisite accommodation for the number of Sick still remaining in that Ship, has been altered. All the servicable Men being assisted, as far as it could be done from amongst those lately belonging to the Syren, she has sailed to cruize on the probable Tract of the Ships intended to disembark their Stores in the New-England Ports.

The Orpheus & Greyhound are supposed to be now upon the same Station. And the Apollo and Venus left this Port some time since, to occupy another part of the usual approach to the New-England Coast.

The Renown (in the State for such Employment as their Lordships will have seen in the Returns) accompanied by the Mermaid, will also put immediately to sea, under the same orders as the two Frigates last mentioned.

These Ships may be, in Number, adequate to the present circumstances of the required Service; But I am yet unprepared to offer an opinion, either with respect to the time they may be able to keep the Sea, or the possibility to furnish a suitable Relief for continuing the same Guard on the passage to the Northern Ports: The indispensible Services connected with the defence of the Posts here on these Coasts, and necessary attendance on the Motions of the Army, considered.

The total want of proper Deck Quarters, and every other Requisite for the care & Re-establishment of the Sick, at this Port (where scarce any Article of Subsistence can now be obtained, exclusive of those sent from England) obliges me to remove a considerable number of them to New-York. And the Somerset will be to proceed with the Sick and Convalescents of her Compliment to that Port also, when the Navigation is practicable; as the only means of deriving any advantage from their future Service.

I have further to observe, on the general State of the Fleet; That the Ships have been so much reduced with respect to naval Stores, that the large Supplies lately received, will not be more than equal to their immediate Demands. And the Slops, from the same cause, are deficient in Quantity for the present necessities of the Men.

The S^t. Albans is recalled from Chesepeak Bay, to be substituted in place of either of the Two-Decked-ships lately ordered to Sea, from this Port; Or to be otherwise employed, according to the State of her Men, as the Exigencies of the Service may then require.

The Appointment of the Centurion, Isis, and Experiment, will be influenced by similar Contingencies; But the particular determination postponed, until I have learnt how far the attendance of those Ships may be requisite for co-operating in the Services dependant on the Motions of the Army.

Under these Circumstances, I trust their Lordships will concur in the necessity for relieving the Ships of this Fleet in quicker Succession, from England. And by those amongst the larger Classes; if any reliance is to be had on the part of the late Intelligence, respecting the Aid in Ships of Force which the Rebels may expect to obtain from foreign Powers, in case the intention is prosecuted with success.

I presume to think that measures should then be taken to provide three Ships of Force for each of the four principal Stations, at Chesepeak Bay, New-York, Rhode-Island, and Halifax. But twelve Sail of Two-decked ships be assigned for those fixed & seperate Appointments. Ten more will, I conceive, be equally requisite, for cruizing Detachments, & other incidental Services. Some of the Frigates (which from their much impaired State will otherwise soon become unfit to remain in this Country) might then be very suitably ordered to Europe.

These sentiments Submitted on the present call for the servicable Ships, will fully express my doubts of the possibility to furnish the Ships of Force, to form the occasional Detachment recommended for Newfoundland. Unless their Lordships shall have been induced, on further advices, to order a small Squadron from England; For the double purpose of intercepting the Capital Ships of the Enemy with greater probability of Success in these Seas, and facilitating the proof against the Captures made thereof, on these Coasts.

The same Impediment will occur on the probability of affording any effectual assistance from this Fleet, for the safer conduct of the Homeward-bound-Trade from the West-Indies, at the recited periods. It is not however explained, on what Meridian it is proposed that those Ships should cross any specified parallel, for determining the Route in which the Cruizers should be placed for their protection.

Since the receipt ofyour said Letter of the first of November, I have thought it expedient to direct Captain Cornwallis,² after he has seen the Store-Ships well into the sea, to make the quickest dispatch with these Letters to England.

I am with great consideration Sir [&c.]