It was not before the 13^th Instant the favour of your Excellency's duplicate of the 27^th March reached me, and was sent in by the Watering Brig¹ from Captain M^cKenzie. 

The Lizard² did not call off here as I expected, he passed this place the 11^th in his way to New York, and the next day to our great joy the Express Schooner arrived with Provisions for the Rebecca, and the original Packett your Excellency was pleased to honour me with—and beg leave to return my thanks for the Civilities therein contained. 

As Lieutenant Ellis³ could not find sufficient Water on to Sapelo within Land for the Hinchinbrook, and Rebecca, I ordered them to go as far with them as they could, and then to proceed to Sapelo with their Boats, if they found it prudent, as I thought it of Consequence to get a knowledge of that Bar, and Harbour, and gather intelligence— this they effected very properly with their Boats but I am sorry to acquaint you after their return Ellis and Mowbray with five men in the Boat overset within about a Mile and half off the Galatea, coming to give an account of their Expedition, and poor Ellis, and one of the Seamen were most unfortunately drowned.— We had seen the Boats two sails— but the weather unluckily for them was very Hazey, and the Boats sails disappearing we concluded they had lowered them to row round a Shoal, which a boat they had sent before confirmed, and said they meant to dine with me, and after having waited sometime I concluded they had foun[d] themselves too late, and had gone to Frederica to shoot— The Weather being so moderate I had not the least idea of their being upon the bottom of the Boat, and driving up one of the Rivers, which they did 'til near dark— At about nine oClock we heard a voice in the Marsh at a great distance— I sent the Boat to follow the Sound, and she returned with Mowbray and four Men, who informed me, Ellis was weakened by being so long in the Water, and the Boat rolling over a little, he was washed off by which the Service was deprived of an active good officer. 

Your Excellency requests me to consider of a Matter relative to the fixing of a Couple of Vessels to act as Galleys with heavy Ordinance, if you recollect it was a subject I entered upon so long ago as last Summer— there is no doubt of the utility of such Galleys at present— but a necessity also, and in my opinion it might be easily executed— by taking two of the stoutest of the Prize Schooners or Brigs, cuting them down and strengthening them so as to carry a Twenty four pounder in each, in which case you would have heavier Mettal than Yankeys which must ever succeed in river Work— nothing would make me more happy than to have it in my power to assist your Excellency in this, and every other Service— I have but one Carpenter I can trust, and he is at present in a high fever.— the lowering and strengthening those Vessels might I should imagine be executed with common workmen, and the strength required to support the resistance of a Twenty four pounder— I should suppose an Artillery officer the best judge of— to construct a proper Galley I grant requires able hands but the Cuting down one of these Vessels, that she may row the faster, and of course draw less water and taking out her Bowsprit that her Gun might act, fixing two Latteen sails with short masts— to execute this I should think your Excellency will find many in St. Augustine to be taken hold of for so essential a Service, for every day convinces me the more, that nothing else can effectually stop the inland navigation or get at their Galleys. 

I had flattered myself from the information I had gathered, that I should have succeeded in cuting them off, but I now find that to be false, for I can't ever stop them, if they chuse to push for it, for these Marshes are so cut, and lead into back rivers, which they at high water can get along in, and out of the power of either of us to follow them a mile— I have just now learnt they can get into one of those Rivers, and not come near Frederica Fort, which the people of that Island, and others before assured me could not be— therefore that Post under this circumstance cannot be of that consequence, I before thought it, and I cannot as yet learn where to place the Galatea, to that advantageous situation I could wish, for I hear nearly the same accounts of Sapelo, but even that would not be a safe move to make just now, for three of their Galleys shewed themselves the other day, and came to a place called Doo Boy,⁴ the next day the 15^th Instant they disappeared, and its most probable they are gone up one of the branches of the altamaha— I expect to know tomorrow and therefore detain the Schooner otherwise should dispatch her, as our wants will come of course, and unless we can get a supply of bread from Augustine, we must soon leave this place— The Hinchinbrook will have hers also, she and the Rebecca from the above information, I have thought proper to order down to the dividing⁵ where the Galleys must come if they wish to get to the Southward, but even these I can't get to assist them if these Galleys prove too heavy for them. 

I was informed the 13^th when they advanced to Sapelo they had several small Vessels with them as transports for their Troops, but neither of those appeared with their Galleys— I shall spare no pains to stop them coming on, or preventing their getting back, but your Excellency is pleased to say you shall be disappointed, if we do not get one of them, if that could happen we certainly should get the three, but be assured neither can happen if they are not fools— I will answer for it, they will never suffer deep water to run between them, and a Kings Ship. 

The party of Rangers your Excellency mentions as sent hither to act with us its true— Colonel Brown⁶ was good enough to send a Captain, and I think Seven Men in a Petuaga⁷ to know if we wanted assistance, but on his joining the Galatea, Captain Wheatley⁸ shewed me an order from Colonel Brown, not to be absent more than ten days, on which I asked him, what time he had been in coming— he said five days— and will it not take you the same time to return— he thought it might— on which I told him I would not detain him longer, than just to write a few lines to Colonel Brown— he wished to get ashore to kill a Bullock and refresh his people, which he did and returned the next day morning, but his party were too few to be of real Service, otherwise I should have wished them in the Fort, and would have given them a couple of Guns for its defence. 

A Fever we brought to this, has gone near through the Ships Company I buried two before I got in, and five since upon Jekyl Island, a few days ago I had forty odd down since which they have been mending— I had many stout men before I left S^t. Augustine, that can't now crawl up a Ladder, notwithstanding the fever has left them since that time I have with the utmost respect [&c.]