Dear General

My last was the 18th Inst by Lieut [Benjamin] Whitcomb, the next day at Noon weighed Anchor with the whole Fleet. which Arived here the same Evening, this is a fine bay. & good Anchorage, two Leagues to the No wd of Cumberland Head, on the West shore, the Liberty was ordered to Cruise of[f] the Isle a La Motte untill 2 oClock, & then Join the Fleet On her return, opposite to the Isle a La Motte, a Frenchman came down, & desired to be taken on board, the Capt Suspected him, 8: went near the shore with his Boat Stern in, Swivels pointed & match lited, the Frenchman waded near a rod from the Shore, but when he found he could decoy the Boat No further he made a Signal, to the Enemy when three, or four, hundred, Indians, Canadians & Regulars rose up & fired, on the Boat, they wounded three Men, the Boat returned the Fire with their Swivels, & Small Arms, it the Schooner fired several Broad sides of Grape, before they dispersed tho several were seen to fall ー On their way down They Discovered a large Party of Savages on the Western Shore, they imagined Two, or three hundred ー they have a large Number of light Burch Canoes, with which they can pass us in the night, & in the day Time Secure them in the Bushes, it will be Dangerous sending down, single Boats, I have Sent up the Liberty to Guard the Return Boats & bring down the Medicine, &c the Surgeons can be of no use to us without, Capt [David] Hawl[e]y is appointed to the Royal Savage, I must renew my request For more Seamen, & Gunners, there is a plenty of the former in the Army, provided they have liberty of Inlisting, tho it is a bad prescident, this emergency will Justify the measure-

I am greatly at a loss what could have retarded the Gallies so long, I verily believe If we are Attack'd this fall by 'the Enemy. it will be in the Course of a week ー or Ten days ー the want of those Gallies may decide the Contest against Usー

I am surprised our Intelligence from New York is so imperfect, I hope we shall soon hear the particulars ー The Tobacco Papers were delivered me I will endeavour totsend them soon The Articles I wrote for in my last. I hope will be Sent if possible. ー I have sent up Mr Dunn to Collect. the Shot. & other Articles I want, & bring them Down ー We had an exceeding hard Gale here the 20th & a prodigious sea. the Gallies Rode it out beyond my expectation, I have sent Two Boats, to sound round the Island Valcouer, who report, that, it is an exceeding fine, Secure harbour I am determined to go there the first fair Wind, as the fleet will be secure. & we can discover the Enemy If. they Attempt to pass us up the East Bay On the Back of Grand Isle ー I make no doubt you will approve of this measure, If. not I will return to any of my former Stations, We are as well prepared for the Enemy, as our Circumstances will Alow, they will never have it in their power to Surprise us ー the Men are Daily trained to the Exercise of their Guns, & if Powder was plenty I would, wish to have them fire at a Mark with their Great Guns Often ー at present we cannot Aford it ー I wish the Workmen could all be employed, on One Gally & finish her first, that Something might be Added to the fleet I cannot help thinking that they are hindering each other, their was all the Materials sufficie [nt] for One when I came away, I hope they will Not mount Twelve pounders. if Eighteens, or Twenty fours, can be'procured ー I am with great respect & esteem [&c.]

P S. The Draufts from the regts at Tionderoga, are a miserable Set, indeed, the Men on board the fleet In General, are not equal to half their Number of good menー B Aー