Sir

I make no doubt but your Honour long Before this, hath been apprizd of our being Prisoners in New York — That our present Situation is most wretched your Honr need not doubt, which I Likewise hope you will Soon be assured of from men of Undoubted Veracity — There are more than two Hundred and fifty prisoners of us on board this Ship (Some of which are Sick and without the least assistance from Physician, Drugg, or Medicine) all fed on two thirds allowance of Salt provisions and all Crouded promiscuously togeather, without Distinction or Respect, to person office or Colour, in the Small Room of a Ships Between Decks, allowed only to walk the main Deck from about Sun Riseing, till Sun Sett, at which time we are Ordered below Deck — and Suffered only two at once to come on deck to do what Nature requires, and Sometimes we have Been even Denied that, and been obliged to make use of tubbs & Bucketts Below deck to the great offence of every Delicate Cleanly person as well as to great prejudice of all our healths — These Sir with many other Miserable Circumstances too lengthy and tedious to Enumerate, are the Just portraits of our present Situation — In Short Sir we have no prospect before our Eyes but a kind of Lingering Inevitable death Unless we obtain a timely and Seasonable Release — From your Honors well known Character of Humanity and Justice we Humbly hope That your Authority will be Exercised in procuring us an Exchange — As Lord Howe hath Sett at Liberty all his prisoners Taken in the Merchant Service — But Refuseth (as we hear) to Exchange those Taken under arms but by a like number taken in arms also Therefore from your Honours Clemen.cey Candour and Benevolence we Cannot but hope and Expect (as we were in the Service of our Country and cannot be deemed as [tom] Common privateer) That Such an Exchange will be put forward and in due time Accomplished if possible — In the meantime we Rest in Confidence that your Honrs Authority and Influence will be Exerted in our Behalf — and beg leave with the utmost Respect to Subscribe Our Selves your Honrs [&c.]

These Belong to the Schooner Spy and were taken in the Ship Hope they are now prisoner with me the others I Suppose to be on board Some of the men of war, but what Ship or where I cannot tell.

Tim Parker 2 William Davall Junr John Tucker William Swan Thomas Coffin Joseph Holly