Dear Sir

I last Evening received your favour of the 9^th. 1 I wrote you on the 6^th: which with the money you wrote for Still remains on hand forwant of a Conveyance. I hope for one this day ⅌ M^r Hopkins,² & will give you my opinion of many Articles of your Enquiry. I shall only Add to what I have mentioned there that I have great doubts of the Propriety of putting 18 pound^rs. on the Ship at Norwich.³ Hopkins says his Ship bears them.⁴ this Ship May carry them, but will they not Shake both of them to pieces if an Engagement should happen. I have been disappointed in the Pigg Iron Contracted for at Plymouth. I shall not get more than fifteen tuns where they talked of Thirty, so that we must have some more for the Ship at Salisbury.⁵ I have indeed Contracted for about ten tuns more but shall not get it soon enough to go in her bottom, therefore it may be best to send part of that at Providence down here the rest may perhaps go to Norwich if necessary hereafter. I am at a loss where it is best to send the Stores saved from the Columbus. It is true it will be Cheaper to send them to Norwich than Boston, but if any are sent there that will not go into the New Frigate⁶ it will Occasion a great Expence for in that Case they must finally be removed again perhaps to this place. The wrought Iron saved would soon be used in the Ships here & not much of it perhaps would be proper to go into the New one.⁷ you will be able to Judge what is best to be done— I hope the Providence⁸ will not go without a very good time. Cap^t Chew⁹ is indeed dead to my Grief, having conceived a very good opinion of him from a Letter received soon after you left me which exhibited Such a Specimen of Spirit & Industry as marked him in my mind for a good officer. The Rawleigh,¹⁰ arrived at Portsmouth on the 6^th. the Alfred is taken.¹¹ many Censures are passed on the Conduct of Cap^t Thompson as the Account of the Matter was handed us by a passenger that came with him. I did not till yesterday receive a line from him when I received two Letters by his Clerk one of which gives a particular Account of this Matter, & the whole passage, which represents it in a more favorable View. He was in this Bay and yet went to Portsmouth instead of coming in here. I have now ordered him to proceed with the Ship Immediatly to this port knowing that she may be fixed for the Sea here with more dispatch & greater advantages than there. I wish to have your Explicit Approbation of this Order as it is more than I like to do alone, & yet what I thought necessary to be done without delay. He has 100 men Engaged till August she wants little but Provisions, Cleaning, & manning, to fit for the Sea Again what shall we do for Men for the Warren & what shall we do for money. I have thoughts of Sending an Express on purpose. I wish the Smallpox was gone that you could return I hope it will soon. There must be another of us here. Do write immediatly to M^r Deshon¹² & Impress him with the Necessity of it— I am Your Friend [&c.] 

P.S. I will talk with Cap^t Hopkins about M^r Page¹³ his Second Lieut. but if recollect right he considers him as the best officer he has —

I shall send a packet of News Papers which we are desired to direct should not be drowned on any Occasion, as the Intelligence will be scattered by the Enemy, & our Commissioners will have their Share of it 

Your Son¹⁴ preparing to go to Providence, Send the money by him