Several Ships are at this time greatly short of Complement ;
and we must naturally expect that many of our People will
drop off this winter. For these Reasons, I most earnestly
request of you to raise as many Seamen and able Bodied
Landmen, as you possibly can, and to send them hither with
the utmost Dispatch, as I shall exert my best Endeavours to
get the Squadron to Sea very early in the Spring. I am
Sir
Your most humble Servant
Colville
Northumberland at
Halifax 14^th Novem^r 1757
Northumberland Sutherland
Terrible Defiance
Kingston Somerset
Oxford Hawke Sloop.
Arc en Ciel
Hon^ble Horatio Sharpe, Esq, &c, &c,

[Sharpe to Stanwix.]

15^th Nov^r 1757.
Sir
By a Letter which I received yesterday from the Earl of
Loudoun I find that His Ldp has been pleased to send you
orders to garrison Fort Cumberland with other Troops in Case
the Assembly of this Province should adhere to the Resolution
that they had made with regard to that place when I last writ
to His Ldp & Yourself. As they have not yet thought proper
to give any answer to a Message which I sent them upon the
Receit of their Address dated the 19^th of Oct^r of which I
inclosed you a Copy, I can only add to what I then told you
that they have at length prepared a Bill in Consequence of
their Resolve. As soon as this Bill is rejected by the Gentⁿ
of the Upper House which I beleive it will be soon after it is
offered, I shall communicate the Contents of His Ldp's last
Letter to the Assembly & insist on their preparing another
Bill agreeable thereto. As I find that the Agents did not till
a few Days ago issue the three months pay that became due
to Capt Dagworthy's Company, & that two months pay was
also issued at the same time for the other four Companies
there will not I hope be any Danger of the Men's deserting for
want of Pay at least on this Side Christmas, & as they have
been very lately cloathed & are supplied with a quantity of
Provisions in Consequence of your orders to M^r Ross I shall