The Petition of the Following Persons Humbly Sheweth

That We Your Petitioners have repeatedly Petitiond your Hons to the followg Purport that we had servd this State since the 16th March last in Differ[en]t Departments on Bord the Schooner Dilligent John Lambert Commander which we are sorry to say to little advantage to the Country or Ourselves, we therefore Requestd of your Hons to give us an honourable Acquitance Discounting for time Serv'd, or to place us in some way werein we cou'd render service to the General Cause and Contribute to our Advantage, for in the Channel we then was in we saw no Prospect of Executing Services Adequate to our pay, as our Seamen had mostly left the Vessl we also Enquird of your Hons the Reason of the Detainment of our Wages, or wither we was Accountable for our Captains Conduct, as we reminded your Hons the Tenor of our Commissions bound us to Obey Superior Commands, therefore we cannot View ourselves Culpable as we Disobey'd no lawfull Commands Consistent with our Duty, on which Account we Doubt not if our Conduct is Enquired into of Acquiting ourselves with Honr and to your Satisfaction, we also wou'd beg leave to Acquaint your Hons that you did not Acquit us in the Recess of the House but desird the Continuance of our Service till the Court concurd with our Discharge, which Agreeable to your Hons Request we did till last Saturday the Vessl was Discharg'd altho daily Sollicited in a private way and greatly to our Advantage, as we thought ourselves happier in Defence of the United States than in any other Service. we therefore still hold ourselves in Readiness to Accept of Commissions by Sea or Land if a Vacancy presents in protecting the Country at the hazard of our Lives. on the Contrary if nothing suitable offers we pray your Hons that we may be immediately Discounted with for our former Services and honourably Discharg'd that we may have no Obstruction of taking up Elsewhere assuring your Hons that we have allmost spent the whole of our Wages in the Pursuit of them in so Expensive a Day, we woud further inform your Hons that with the Utmost Difficulty we got our Commander to make up his Role, which after finishing and not taking a Duplicate of the same, by some means or other it has got lost, by which means we Immagine it proves an Obstruction to our Obtaining our Wages we have daily Sollicited him to make up another but to no Effect, we therefore humbly pray that your Hons woud take it into your Wise Consideration, that we may no longer suffer by our Commanders Neglect, as we remain here upon great Expence and loosing our time, which in the present Day may be Valuable to the Country and ourselves, our fervent Zeal for which (while we lay Dormant) we have not an Opportunity of Showing, we therefore once more lay ourselves at the feet of your Hons praying we may no longer be kept in Suspence hopeing that our Petition may be Complyd with and that Suffering Innocence may be rewarded & as in Duty Bound shall ever Pray. Our Wages are as Follows. viz

Walter Perkins Second Lieut serv'd from the 16th March To the 12th Octr viz 7 Months, 2 Weeks, 0 Days a £ 5 pr Month

Peter Clark Capt of Marines & Master at Arms from the 16th March To the 12th Octr 1776 Do. 7 Months, 2 Weeks, 0 Days at £ 5 pr Month.

[Endorsed] In Council Octr 1776 Read & sent down

John Avery Dep Secy