Dear Sir ー

Your favour's of the 2d and 5th instant are now before me, was glad to see that the Wages, of all the Officers were to be absolutely settled, that is such a material matter that I cannot engage any Petty Officers, as it will not do to lower his Wages, after agreeing. ー I am glad to hear that Congress will attend soon, to Naval matters, I am tired of doing Business at this rate, if I had not been Cramped, for the want of Guns and Orders, I should have given as great dispatch to the Ship, as any on the Continent, I see no prospect of her being equip't till fall if we are to wait for Guns from Providence, as it must be July before they'll have furnished their own, and then about Six Weeks to cast our's, which is middle of September at least, it will take [a] long time to hawl them by Land, the Carriages can not be put together till [we] get the Guns ー I hope shall get some from you at Philadelphia, in some armed Vessell, all our Carpenters dischargd, except two or three to make Cleates &c ー our Joiners work most Compleated, all Carved work on the Ship, compleatly painted round this day, the Lower Rigging Compleated, shall get her Compleatly Rigged soon, Sails making we shall intirely wait soon for Guns, Hands, Provisions, for Gods sake let the Agent be appointed, and be Explicit in what is his department, for going on with these matters with[ou]t being Agent, is like Resolutions of Congress without Independance ー Inclos'd you have the Names of the Officers for the Ship, all which I have spoke to, and they have Excepted, which I think is agreeable to your Letter

Captain Jno Wheelwright, has chose rather to be master then Lieut, have therefore appointed him to that Office, and think he will make an Excellent Master, which is agreeable to your Letter. I am much Obliged for your Kind Condescention in giving up your Opinion (which I by no means desired[)] however I've spoke to Turner on the Matter, and he has declined therefore that is at an end. I've put [Josiah] Shackford in, a proper man [Thomas] Thompson has Sailed with him and likes him well, an Excellent Seaman, genteel Fellow and does not want Courage, Captain Thompson prefers him for the second Lieut as he knows him however that you will be the best Judge off, as you know Captain Follett, who I've not seen, as I have had no time (tho' I've said above that I had spoke to all) If you think Follett the properest Man youll make him the Second; and Shackford the third, as you please. ー

Tho' I some time ago mention'd Hall Jackson as Surgeon, for the Battalion here, yet as he is Surgeon of [Nicholas] Gilman's Regiment, which is to be kept up, I shall depend on Brackett being appointed Surgeon for this Battallion under [James] Hackett station'd here. I shall write to Doctor [John] Morgan in his favour ー Before this comes to hand, no doubt you'll have heard of our People at Boston having cleared the _ Harbour there of about 25 Sail Ships including transports, done in about 30 Minutes after the Fire began, one Ship obliged to be towed out, the Commodores Ship her Maintopmast shot away and sundry more damag'd, the Harbour intirely clear, and what must have afforded much Pleasantry, Five or Six of our Privateers put out of Marblehead after them, giving them chace and firing for Joy (I suppose they took Care to keep proper Distance, it said for of our Privateers went so Nigh as to Engage one of the Ships, and its supposed they carried the Ship, as I've seen a Man who saw the Action, who gives a very favourable account of it, poor Devils, they have gone to tell their Master [William] Howe (the treatment of the Yankees) who I suppose will tell his Master the Royal Brute and from him be Communicated to the Houses of Parliament of Blessed Memory: out comes an Act forbidding us to Eat and Drink ー Pray send me the Name of the Ship, (I have called her the New Hampshire) all Friends are well and desir'd to be remembred ー I've wrote Colo Bartlett the genteel treatment of Captain Dame, by our Officers, at the Batteries who it seems have Influence in the House, it is great pity that Dame could not be Employed as great a Soldier as General [Charles] Lee, in my Opinion I am sorry to say it, we do not look after Men of Abilities, but Men who can get the most Votes ー Believe me to be [&c.]

P S. I must be inpowred to Contract for the Guns at Providence if they cannot be got Elsewhere, as the Congress, have not agreed with them for any. ー Yours J L