Gentlemen

We fear our orders of the 9th Instant for sending aSet of Cannon from your State to New Hampshire may not be so proper as we thought them at the time of Signing, because we are since informed through several Channels [that your frigates] are quite or very near fit for the Sea, which is avery different account from that which caused us to send that order, therefore to prevent inconvenience or disadvantage to the public service we dispatch this immediately after the other and desire you may not forward the said Cannon to Portsmouth if your Ships are actually ready for service, for our veiw is only to get such of the frigates as are ready into action, and it matters not to us whether it be yours or the New Hampshire frigate that goes first, but you will still answer what we have said to Governor Hopkins respecting Cannon. We are Gentlemen [&c.]