[Extract]
Dear Sir

I have received your kind favor of the 24 Ultimo ー The 24 Gun Frigate might have been out to Sea a month Ago and have cleared her Cost as well as the Cost of the other Frigate, by what prizes she might have taken before this, had she have been furnished with her Guns, the want of these retards every Attempt to fix her off, besides it will be impossible to procure Men till they see she is Compleatly Armed, It is a great pity you have not been able to send the Cannon from Philadelphia; I have received no orders to purchase any here but have from the first been told I should be supplied with them from Philadelphia, however I have tryed in Vain to procure them at Providence, Their Furnace has been so engaged in supplying the two Continental Ships there as well as the Government of Rhode Island with Cannon that they have constantly wrote me I I fear (being tempted with a till they had fulfilled those Engagements; but could not be supplied with any most extravagant Price by the owners of Privateers) they have notwithstanding been Supplying other People even in preferrence to their own Government; Mr Nicholas Brown, one of the owners of the Furnace, has lately wrote me that they Can have Ninety pounds Lm p Ton for Cannon & want to Know Whether I am empowered to Contract for any, but does not Inform me how soon I can be furnished, if I was willing to Contract at that enormous price, which I dare not do without first Consulting Congress, pray let Know what I shall do upon this occasion, provided they at Providence Can furnish me Seasonablyー

The Mi[l]ford Frigate and, it is said, some others, are Cruising upon our Coast and taking prizes ー The Continental Frigates, if they were now out, might be of eminent service, O for Cannon! The spirit of Privateering prevails so amazingly here that Cannon cannot be procured, if at all, but at a most extravagant price ー pray forward them from Philadelphia if possible & send me the dimensions of the Guns by the first opportunity that I may compleat the Carriages, for the General Court apprehending the 24 Gun Frigate will not be a Match for the Milford of 28 Guns are About placing the Guns, they proposed lending to me, on board the Portsmouth Frigate, if Capt Langdon will consent she should go out And Attack the Milford...

Your Brethern in the Law have fine times of it, They are making Money as fast almost as they Can receive it, I suppose there never was a better chance for Gentlemen of your Profession getting money than the Present, Privateering prevails so much & such a number of prizes are taken that it makes a vast deal of Business in your Way ー Messrs Dana, Lowell, Kent, Morton Hitchburn &c. &c. &c have their hands fullー

While writing I received your Favor of the 31 August ー The prize ship that had the Ten 9 pounders on board was retaken & Carried to Hallifax ー I hear Capt Langdon is appointed by the Congress Agent for the Continental Ships within the State of Newhampshire and as he has had the trouble and fatigue of building & fixing one of them out (which at this difficult day is attended with Ten times the trouble & fatigue as at another time when every thing may be obtained with Ease & barely for asking for) I think it is reasonable & just he should have the Appointment ー If I, who have had the care & trouble of building two of these Ships, Should be entirely overlooked, will it not seem as if my conduct with respect to them was disapproved of? As to the Objection made to my being Agent for the prizes on account of it's being incompatable with my other Appointments, it seems this objection was easily got over with respect to Mr Langdon for he is judge of the Common pleas in his Government as well as my self in this Government; with respect to such an Appointment's being incompatable with the place of a Councellor, that seems not to Agree with the Ideas of the Court here, for both the Honble Mr Wm Sever & Mr Richard Derby are Councellors and Notwithstanding this they have both been appointed by the Council Agents for the Colonial Vessells of War, one for the southern District, the other for the Middle District; As I have had an Infinite deal of trouble in building & Collecting the Materials for these ships I should think it hard if any one else was appointed to have the Care of them ー & from time to time to furnish them with Supplies, It will be full enough for one man to have the Charge of the Prizes, and for Another to have the Care of these & the other Continental privateers & from time to time to supply them with Provisions, Stores of all Kinds, Mast, Yards, Cables and other riggen as they may stand in Need of them ー perhaps this is the Capt Langdon has got pray let me know particularly what his appointment is & what precisely is his Duty, I am oblidged to you for the tender of your services Upon this occasion & doubt Not I shall experience the benefit of themー

I remain with respect [&c.]