Honorable Gentlemen

The day before yesterday two of Captain Tuckers¹ prizes arrived here, one of w^ch- is loaded w^th. 1400 Quintals of Dry’d Cod Fish,² the other with Twenty Chaldron of Coals & seventy Gross of empty Bottles.³ both these prizes are Brigs, one of w^ch- is of very little value, but the other is a new vessel. as no application cou’d yet be made from M^r. Schweighauser, and it being necessary to make their Declaration at the Custom house & Admiralty, I passed them through these different ceremonys as vessels belonging to Portsmouth in N. England, in order to avoid the detention that wou’d be given them if declared as prizes. I have wrote M^r. Schweighauser of Nantes to inform me whether his appointment extends to this port, on rec^t. of his answer, if I find it do’s, I will deliver to his order those prizes &c. if I shou’d not in the mean time receive different orders from you, as the steps I have already taken regarding them proceeds only from a desire of being of some use⁴

The jealousys subsisting between Cap: Tuckers officers & the french part of his crew, have got to the disagreeable height of being obliged to come before the Admiralty, however I am in hopes matters will be soon reconciled.— the Admiralty desire all they can to facilitate it.⁵ I have the honor to be [&c.]