My Lord

I have received your Lordship's Letter of the 25th Instant, inclosing an Extract of a Letter from Lord Viscount Howe (in consequence of a Letter from Lord George Germain to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty) Noting that he is directed by their Lordships to inquire into the Cause of the Capture of Two Transports with part of the Highland Troops onboard, which were carried into Boston without any interuption by any of His Majesty's Ships, and that the late advices from Halifax mentioned the Arrival there of the Renown and Milford, two of the Ships Stationed in the Bay of Boston under my Orders; and your Lordship directing me to furnish you with the Copies of all the Orders I have issued to the Captains of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels put under my Command while upon that Service, together with the cause of the Renown and Milford proceeding to Halifax, as well as all other necessary information which has fallen under my knowledge on the above Subject. In answer thereto, I herewith inclose to Your Lordship Copies of all the Orders I have given to the Captains you left under my Command, which I hope will meet your Approbation; and with respect to my proceeding to Halifax, I must beg leave to inform your Lordship that I left Nantasket Road principally for want of Provisions, having onboard not above one Months for my Ships Company, and the Troops at the Light House which I was obliged to support, and having with me to the Amount of about Thirty Sail of Transports with Highland Troops, and Stores, in a similar Condition, and not knowing when I should have a Supply; I thought it right, for the good of the Service, to take them under Convoy, and with the Hope which was likewise in the same Condition to proceed to Halifax, leaving the Milford which I had completed with Provisions for one Month, under Orders to Cruize in the Bay as long as it would admit her to do so with propriety. The Rebels having been employed after the Arrival of the Highland Troops, in Erecting Works on every spot from which they could annoy us, and in all probability of itself would have soon obliged me to evacuate that place, as I found from the high situation of their works, my Shot against them could do no Execution; I must likewise beg leave to remark to your Lordship that during the time the Renown lay at Nantasket she was so exceedingly sickly that for some time I had but two Men to a Gun, and never had less than Sixty or Seventy Men on shore at the Hospital on George's Island which I was obliged to protect, And that in the whole time was never joined by any of the Ships and Vessels put under my Command but the Milford and Hope, and the Lively for some little time which Ships were constantly employed Cruizing in the Bay, and saved a Number of Victuallers and other Vessels from falling into the hands of the Rebels. The two Transports which your Lordship mentions with Highland Troops were taken after I left Nantasket Road, and which I consequently knew nothing of. That there was a Ship carried into Boston there is no doubt,² but she was taken a great distance from me, and I never saw her till she came thro' the Sound, which your Lordship is sensible must be totally out of my power to prevent, as none of the Ships then under my Command were near me at that time. I am [&c.]