Dr Sr

Your two favors of the 10th ins ー one dated at Boston & the other at Portsmo came duly to hand, I inform'd you in my last wich went by Saturdays post, that the Marine Committee desire you would ship your men so soon as you can, they also direct me to desire You'll provide six months wet Provisions & four months Dry this stock to be keep good, You'll apply to the Commesary at Boston for the Provisions (that is the Beef, Pork, & Bread or flouer) he has orders to supply you, as for Guns, that matter remains as when I wrote you last, I cannot prevail with Gov: [Stephen] Hopkins to consent to pat[t] with those at providence, I tell him Your ship will make a cruise of three months if she has guns, before either of the Providence ship[s] can be got to sea, but he insist that those ships are as forward as Yours, I believe the Guns must go from hence there is a probability that enough for one ship will be in town in about 10 days, & You may depend I shall exert every nerve to get the first for you

I am just come from the Marine Commte & have once more got their Unanimous consent to nominate you for agency, I think there is no doubt but you'll be appointed, but believe it will be in expectation that you resign Your seat in Congress, which I have assurd all that I have mentioned the matter too that you are determined on I suppose a list of officers are on the way here I shall dispatch them as soon as they arrive &c