Sirー

Your favour P Captain Hawkins I've recd am sorry for the Misfortune of the Masts; on receiving your Letter, immediately orderd our Mast makers to examine the Docks for Masts they have got some of them, and are at work, shall soon have them ready. Capt Hawkins is at Newbury will soon be here with his Sloop to take them round, have order'd some to be hawled for Top Masts &c shall take every care to give every dispatch in my power, we shall, Hew them; and also toung'd them, that they may be lighter for transporting on deck-Colo [Joseph] Nightingale has been here, with whom I've discoursed fully relative to the Gunso; I've desired him to inform the Committee that I depend on the next Guns to your's and therefore if the Contract is wrote & sent down, I will sign it, and send it back, and in that case my Guns will be done (as I conceive) full time for Your second Ship, therefore I cant conceive the least impropriety of your lending me the Guns for this Ship now, as mine will be done in time for you, as I never meant to interfere with the first Contract for Guns, for I understood when there, that the Committee could not cast any more at so low a price; therefore expect to pay more.

If it suites the Committee, should choose to have 26, 12 pounders, 6 Six pounders ー 20 Swivels, but should it not suit, the whole Twenty Six to be Twelve pounders, Eight or ten 18 pounders would do, I mean if the Guns can be lent out of those already cast, whkh I hope they may, as it will most certainly serve us all to get this Ship out ー Should the Committee see fit to spare them, pray send teams off immediately with them to Boston to the Care of Messrs Brusk and Hammott who will send them me by Water pray let me know by return of post if they will spare them, and how soon they will set off, pray send by the first teams, one of each sort. ー I am with Respect [&c.]