Sir

I Had the Pleasure to hear of Your Health Yesterday by Cap^t Bennet & Last Evening by Your Letters to the officers—

Must Confess that I was Disapointed in hearing that we were not like to have Your Company to Conduct us & Join in Celebrating the The ever memorable 4 July.

Yet hope that you may Spend the day with Still Greater Satisfaction in Nants— Our affairs in the Ship go on with greatest Dispatch & Good Decorum But the want of our masts Lays us under Many Disadvantages for be asured that the Conduct of our Carpenters on Shore is intolerabl for there is not a Single Hoop on the mast¹ Yet—Methinks that if the almighty had been as Long making Such a number of frenchmen (As there are) as that they are finishing our mast, he might have had Business for ages yet to Come, and they would have been Somewhat Like other Parts of his workmanship It would Give me infinite Satisfaction if I Could make them Understand what I would Say, whereas talking has no Effect May he who Superintend the universe Deliver us from the hands Of those infernal Souls &c we are much in want of a Person whose thundrings would make these the worst of all gods Creation to Shudder—

I Mean not to Urge Your Coming Down by Any means, (but must tell you that your Company Would be Verry agreable) and if there is any appearance Of it Beg You’d Excuse it—

I have nothing perticular more To Mention only beg you’d do me the favour to present my Compliments to Madame M^c.Arthy & the Gentle^n. And Ladies of my acqaintance that fall in Your way I Have the Honor to Remain [&c.]

Ship Providence 1^st July 1778