Sir

We have had the pleasure to receive your acceptable favours of 22d Ultimo and am much obligd by your attention to the Marine department here as well as for your attention of giving us intelligence from time to time of any material occurrences that may happen & shall always be ready to give you or the Marine Committee of Congress any information respecting the business of our Board that you may think necessary to require of us. your observations respecting the appointment of a Superintendant of the Dockyards &c. exactly coincide with the sentiments of our Board and the Gent you mention is the one the Board had determin'd to choose before your letter came to hand and will immediately be employed in that Capacity. the having a strong Fortification at Portsmouth we think wou'd be extreamly necessary for the protection of our little Navi, but under the present difficulties of our Country when neither Men or cannon can be proc4red we have little hope of establishing any other Fortifications than such as may serve to protect our Vessels when heaving down, repairing &c against a small naval force of the Enemy. the Vessels now on the Stocks are at places most convenient to Timber &c. and inaccessible to the Enemy except by Land or in Boats where the River is very narrow. We thank you for the draught of the Galley you were pleas'd to send us, and your order on us for the Cost of it will meet with due honour, the Galleys we had order'd were so nearly agreeable to that draught that they needed very little alteration to make them extreamly conformable to it. We are happy to hear that our Troops behave so well, and that our affairs in New York wear so favourable an aspect, may they continue to do so, we are now making out and shall in a few Days lay before the Assembly a State of our Navy which we will as soon as convenient transmit you a Copy of. I am by order of the Naval Board [&c.]