My Lord

I received a Letter from Capt Furneaux of the Syren dated October 11th last proposing, as he informed me with your Lordships Permission an Exchange of a Number of Prisoners he then had on board his Ship. I wrote to him that I accepted of the Proposal and would send the same Number of Prisoners to Block Island to be exchanged I have since been told that Capt Furneaux was at that Island about the Time agreed upon. But many Difficulties having arisen I was prevented from sending the Prisoners until after the Time stipulated was elapsed. However on the 12th of November I dispatched Mr Adjutant [Benjamin] Stelle with Two Masters of Merchantmen, Five Mates Twenty Seamen and a Corporal in the 53d Regt in the Service of his Britannick Majesty to Block-Island and gave him Orders to effect the Exchange, and in Case of the Absen[ce] of Capt Furneaux to deliver his Prisoners to the Captain of the First British Ship of War which should arrive taking a Receipt for them not doubting but that an equal Number would be returned. Upon Mr Stelle's arrival at the Island he found no Ship of War there and he being on Shore with the Masters and some of the Mates the other Prisoners took the Vessel by Force and carried her to Long Island where they landed and sent the Vessel back to Block-Island. Mr Stelle is not yet returned nor have I had any Intelligence from him within Four Weeks.

A Number of Masters of Vessels who were Prisoners here upon their Petition to the General Assembly were permitted to purchase a Vessel to carry them their Pasengers Mates and Apprentices to Great Britain. They were all embarked and only waited for a Wind when the General Assembly having Notice of Lieut. Barker's Arrival at New-London with Powers from your Lordship to negotiate an Exchange of Prisoners stopped the Brig. and sent a Committee to confer with Lieut. Barker; who entered into an Agreement with him to make an Exchange at Huntington upon Long-Ishmd as near as might be on the 10th instant: In Pursuance of which after having endeavoured in vain to procure a Vessel Pilot and Men without Coercion to carry the Prisoners to the appointed Place I issued a Warrant to the Sheriff to impress them for that Purpose who was upon the Business when we were alarmed with a powerful Naval Armament in the Sound destined as we were informed for this State: Which turned our Attention to Objects of more immediate Importance. In this Situation burthened with the Number of Prisoners in the State I gave Permission to the above-mentioned Masters &c to proceed on their Voyage agreeable to the First Order of Assembly and inclose their Petition to your Lordship. The Brig. I am informed was stopped in Seconet River by One of the Ships of War under your Lordships Command; the Captain of which notwithstanding the Parole that had been given took the principal Part of the Mates and Apprentices out of the Brig. & they are now doing duty on board the British Ships of War —

I beg leave to observe to your Lordship that the unaccountable detention of Adjutant Stelle and the flagrant Act of Violence committed by the Prisoners in running away with his Vessel together with the difficult Navigation in the Sound in the Winter Season create such obstacles as make it almost impracticable to comply with the Agreement entered into with Lieut. Barker.

I have entered into this detail to account to your Lordship for the Failure on our Part in not effecting the Exchange of Prisoners.

I inclose an Account of the Prisoners who have been dismissed from this State for whom I must desire your Lordship to cause an equal Exchange both with Regard to Rank and Number to be made.

I have also to inform your Lordship that we have in this State about Fifty Seamen Prisoners several of whom were Officers on board the British Ships of War whom I am ready to exchange at any Place upon the Continent your Lordship shall appoint in this or the State of Connecticuit. — I have the Hom,t'To be with the greatest personal Esteem My Lord [&c.]