The Committee appointed to view the Sea Coasts from Boston to Newbury Port and examine their State of Defence &c ー having attended that Buisness report as follows. ー

There are two Forts erected on the Point of Land in Salem Harbour No 1 & No 2 or old Fort, No 1 contains 10 Amb[ra]zeurs has 2 twelve pounders 2nine pounders with three small pieces, fit for Use, which with the Cannon in No 2 or old Fort we judge sufficient, as these Forts are overlooked by anotherFort which is now erecting on an eminence not far distant from those already mentioned, which commands Beverly & Salem Harbours in a very advantageous Manner. in this Fort there is one 12 pounder only. This Fortwe must own, does Credit to the Gentm of the Town of Salem, and with theAddition of some heavy pieces and Ordinance Stores would enable them tomake no despicable Figure in the common Defence.

The Situation and Importance of the Harbour of Marblehead, with the Strength & Beauty of their Works, are equally conspicuous. they have 18 pps. of Artillery in their Fort and 4 in one of their Batteries viz 2 of 24. 2 of 18. 2 of 14. 4 of 12 the remainder nines sixes & fours. four of thefour pounders are expected to go on Board the armed Schooner Tyrannicide and a part of the 14 & 12 pounders answer better for an Armament to theFort than for Her. besides this they have a six gun Battery well situated & very advantageous for the Defence of their Sea Coast but destitute of guns. they are also a five gun Battery at a Place called Hewitts Head, and propose erecting another on the Back Part of the Town. These Fortifications We judged sufficient if well manned & supplied with Artillery & Ordinance Stores for the Defence of the Harbour, unless it should be Judged best to take Possession of a Height of Ground called Noggshead, which would be of advantage to Salem & Beverly equally with Marblehead. ー

at Beverly they have erected a Sand Bank Battery, laid out for five Amb[ra]zeurs, in which they have two borowed field Pieces. This Battery appeared to the Committee of no great Importance. The Situation of a seven gun Battery, nearly opposite Salem Fort, on Woodbury Point, and a four gun Battery erecting on Thorndicks Point, together with a five gun Battery erected at Barnets Point and a three gun Battery at West Beach, are of such a Nature as to demand an immediate Attention for the Preservation & Security of the Sea Coast. They have a Part of Coll. [John] Glovers Regiment stationed here. have one 18 pounder & two 12 pounders borrowed of Genll [Artemas] Ward and four small borrowed field Pieces of little Consequence. they have 150 Wt of Powder belonging to the Town with 200 Wt sent there by a Committee. ー

At Manchester, they have no Works except a small one near Glass Head. As their Men are out in the Service of the Continent and they naked & Defenceless they petition for two or three Cannon and a Sea Coast Company, being obliged to keep several Watches and lying more than six Mile on the Sea Coast. ー

The Importance of the Harbour of Gloucester is so great as in the Judgment of your Committee to demand a very early and serious Consideration. Theyhave a Fort erected called Fort Anne with ten Ambozeurs in which they have I 24 Pder with three Nine pounders, honey comb[e]d and not fit for Use if possible to be avoided. ー No 2 is a four gun Battery in which is one 9 pder that is not good and one 6 Pounder fit for Use ー No 4 is a four gun Battery lying on a Neck of Land between No I & No 2 and not of so much Importance as No 1 which is a five gun Battery & has one 24 pounder & I nine pounder. Besides these there is a Battery erected which has no guns, but in which a Feild Piece or two might be of great Service. they have about 240 Men 100 Shot for the Large Cannon and one thousand Wt of Powder for the while. ー

The Town of Newbury Port is fortified in such a Manner as to do Honour to the gentlemen concerned. The Noble Exertions that have been made by that Town for the Defence of such an important Port of the Colony demands the most grateful Returns from every Well Wisher to American Liberty. they have ten nine pounders 8 sixes and two fours belonging to the Town, but have no guns nor ordinance Stores belonging to the Colony and have been able to procure but very little of the latter at their own, and a very great Expence.

The above being a State of Facts, your Committee beg leave to report as their opinion. that Cape Ann, be immediately supplied with thirty two and Pounders with ammunition and Ordinance Stores suitable therefor and that some Measures be adopted for the speedy filling up the Sea Coast Companies station[e]d there in the Room of those who have enlisted or shall enlist on Board any of the Continental or Colonian armed Vessells. We beg Leave also to observe it as our opinion, that some heavy Pieces be sent to Salem Marblehead & Newbury Port, that the State of Manchester be taken into Consideration, that a Sea Coast Company & a matross Company be raised at Newbury Port, and that they be supplied at Newbury Port with Ordinance Stores & Ammunition proper for the Cannon already there and such others as shall be sent there. that Beverly also be supplied with a proper Proportion of Cannon & ordinance Stores ー

[Endorsed] Recd June 19th & committed to the Committee on the state of the Sea Coast ー