Sir,

The 3d instant I arrived Here, with His Majesty's Ships Bristol, Actaeon, and Solebay, the Sybella Storeship and Sixteen Sail of Transports, Ordnance Ships, and Victuallers; They are all in this River except the Bristol; She must Anchor without the Bar, I have therefore shifted my Pendant for the Present on Board of this Ship, for the convenience of a ready Communication with General [Henry] Clinton, Who has been Here since the beginning of March with Two Companies of Light Infantry; Governor Martin and Lord William Campbell are also Here. The Sphynx arrived Two Days before me, with the Pigot Hospital Ship, Two Transports and a Victualler; Captain [Anthony] Hunt informs me, that He thinks the Thunder Bomb and Her Tender have put Back; Besides the Sphynx I found in this River, His Majesty's Sloops Falcon, Cruizer, and Scorpion, the St Lawrence Schooner and some Transports; Their Lordships will See by the List which I send Herewith, that There are now Five Transports, One Ordnance Ship, and Two Victuallers, missing. The 2nd instant I fell in with the Syren of[f] Cape Fear, and the next Day with the Mercury; I sent the former to Cruize for the remainder of the Convoy, from Three to Fifteen Leagues of[f] the Frying Pan, and the Latter from Three to Fifteen Leagues, between the South End of the Frying Pan and Cape Romaine. The Hawke Sloop has not been of[f] this Cape, nor can I get any information about Her. Captain [Tobias] Furneaux wrote to me the 1st instant, charging Lieutenant David Cuming of Marines, belonging to His Majesty's Ship Syren under His Command, with Shooting in a Duel on the 18th of January last, Mr Joseph Pennington, first Lieutenant of the said Ship, and desiring a Court-Martial on Him; I have given Mr Thomas Newton the Second Lieutenant an Order to Act as First of the Syren in the Room of the late Mr Pennington, have appointed Mr Sylvester Moriarty (who has passed His Examination) to Act as Second Lieutenant. General Clinton having applied to me for a Vessel to carry some Dispatches of Consequence from Him to General Howe, I shall send the Mercury with Them as soon as They are ready, and also with a particular Account to Admiral Shuldham of all my Proceedings. The Hinchinbrook Schooner came in Here, the 4th instt for Orders, and with a Letter from Captain [John] Stanhope of the Raven, complaining of the want of Provisions; At the Instance of General Clinton, I have sent Her with Mr Stewart [John Stuart] Superintendant for Indian Affairs, to Pensacola. She is to call in Her Way at Savannah with Provisions for the Raven and Cherokee; I have stationed the Hinchinbrook at St Augustine, and the Raven and Cherokee at Savannah, till I hear from the Admiral. As I have found all the Ships aid Vessels Here, and to the Southward in great want of Provisions, and as the Levant Victualler is ordered to Boston, and no Contractors in any of the Rebellious Colonies, and not knowing as Yet, how the Ships to the Southward are to be supplied, I have put the Squadron to Two Thirds Allowance of Bread, Beef, and Pork, have taken about a Weeks Provisions from the Transports (which had near Twelve Weeks on Board) and ordered Mr John Read Purser of the Bristol to Purchase out of some Prizes that I have found Here, some Flower and Rice, which will come reasonable to Government; General Clinton brought with Him, a large Quantity of Rum for the Army which He bought on His Way hither, at Virginia. He has promised to spare Us a few Hogsheads, which we are to return in kind, or give Bills for Them ー I have sent the Sphynx with the Pensacola Packet of[f] Charles Town; in the latter, the General sent an Engineer, and I, a Lieutenant with instructions to act in concert with the Engineer, to observe the Motions of the Rebels and gain all the Information in His Power of the State of the Fortifications, and particularly whether any have been lately Erected on Sulivans Island, Cumm'in's Point or at the Light House; When He has finished His Observations, He is to Sound the Bar with the greatest Exactness, in Order to ascertain the true depth of the Water.

The 12th instt the 33d and 37th Regiments and Four Companies of Light Infantry were Landed at Day Break Two or Three Miles above Brunswick, with a view to surprise about Three Hundred Rebels, Who were incamped near Town, but They had timely Notice, and made Their Escape. The 57th Regiment is incamped at Bald Head, and the rest, near Fort Johnston. General Clinton is in Daily Expectation of Hearing from General Howe; the Season is so far advanced, that it is likely our next Movement will be to Virginia, especially, if the Troops shou'd be wanted soon to join the Main Army.

I have received Your Letter by the Sphynx of the 8th of Feby last, inclosing a Commission for Mr John Rickman to be Lieutenant of the Carcass Bomb, I am informed that the Carcass has been at Spithead, and tho Mr Rickman is now in England, I shall keep the Commission in my Hands 'till I hear further from You. I am Sir [&c.]²