Isis before Quebec June, the 27th 1776
Sir
In addition to my Letter of Yesterdays date, I am under the necessity of troubling you with another, whereby to lay before my Lords Commissioners, Various other Matters, ー In the first place the absolute and Palpable necessity of our being omnipotent, on the other Part of this River, as also General Carleton's pressing requisition, as appears by His Excellency's letter of May the 29th in order to disjoin the Posts of the Rebels, supposing they would have made a greater Resistance do I flatter myself sufficiently evince the propriety of my having fitted out, besides the Maria, another Armed Schooner, (now before the Admiralty Court as Rebel property) under the name of the Brunswick: And I am sure their Lordships, must approve, of my having put her under the Command of Mr. Edward Longcroft, as Lieutenant, he having passed his examination for such, Anno 1771, and having moreover the much greater Merit of having purposely shut himself up in Quebec, before the seige and of having served as a Lieutenant in the Intrepid late Naval Battalion. ー They are both cheap Vessels of War, the Maria being entirely Mann'd and Victualled from the Lizard, and the Brunswic[k] from the Isis; which last, uses some of our small sails, also, and carries Six borrowed Six Pounders.
Mr Wm Burchell Masters Mate of the Blonde, who has long passed his examination, fills the Lieutenancy which becomes Vacant, on the occasion of Mr [Robert] McEvoy having the honor of waiting on their Lordships, with my Dispatches I hope my Lords Commissrs will the more Readily approve & confirm, all the appointments I have made, the same having been in favor of Men of Merit, who were all personally Strangers to me, until we met on this late great occasion.
The Lakes Champlain and Ontario, following next in Order, to be taken under Consideration, His Excellency General Carleton has suggested to me, a Naval Establishment for each, ー For the former an Officer to command in Chief; Six other Commission Officers, and two Hundred Seamen, To this important department, if left to me, which I do not expect nor wish, I intend to appoint Captn [Thomas] Pringle of the Lord Howe Arm'd Ship, who is justly esteemed by Genl Carleton, and all who know him, as an Officer & a Gentleman.
To the Command of the Lake Ontario, I propose appointing Lieutenant Joseph Nunn, an experienced Officer, Commanding the Magdalen Schooner, for whom Genl Carleton, has likewise expressed his predelection: he having also served, much to His Excellency's approbation as Captain of Infantry, in the Naval Battalion, during the late Seige; for the better carrying on of which Service, I intend so, to word his Orders, that he be considered by Fleet, and Army, as a Master and Commander, in His Majesty's Navy, for the time being, No considerable time, is to be lost herein, As it is hoped a sufficient Strength of Craft will shortly be in readiness; first and more particularly for Lake Champlain ー To procure Seamen, is the next great difficulty to be got over ー Pressing will never do on this occasion, for which Reason, I shall be obliged in a great measure to unman the Isis, (forthe whole season) and almost wholly the Lizard, she being the least fit for Service, and to take draughts, out of some of the rest of the Frigates, before I send Them to the Commander in Chief. ー To the able Seamen thus to be lent, as they must be most Thorough Volunteers, it is suggested, that their Wages be made up to forty Shillings a Month; General Carleton making good the surplusage, Monthly to each man, by way of subsistance Money, out of his Contingent fund. Nor will it be possible to get men fit to be trusted, on this important & Critical Occasion, even from His Majestys Ships without some such encouragement Petty Officers to be paid, in the same proportion as the Seamen. But I hope every hour, to receive directions herein As also how to dispose of the Numerous fleet of Transports which are in this River, from the Commander in chief; from whom I have not yet Received, even the Order to put myself under his Command.
To the end, that my Lords Commissrs may judge, how the service has been, and is carrying on here, I trouble you with Copies of all the Orders of Consequence which have been given since my last, As also of some letters to the same purport. And I send you an Account of the State and Condition, of this and such other of His Majesty's Ships under my Command as are on the Spot ー The Lizard is again out of the Cul-au-Sac, in which she lay during the Seige, and is in tolerable Repair, considering our Means and a great deal of other work we have had to employ all sorts of Naval Artificers upon, such at this place and our Ships afford. I am &c.
P.S. Captain [Henry] Harvey of the Martin Sloop (going to Newfoundland) is first returning to the Sorel, in Order to examine with the utmost precision, into the Means of Floating between Camels, as is the practice in Russia and in Holland; the Six flat bottomed Arm'd Vessels (One of which is just arrived) thro' the Rapids of Chambly into Lake Champlain, nor do I despair of success herein. Nor of our thereby becoming very shortly & Compl[e]atly Masters of that Lake.