Letters to the Council. 441

ten thousand had been ordered by a Committee of Congress & were
purchased for the use of the Royal Marine for purposes then in
Contemplation.

M^r Gerard claimed leave to export 5 or 6000 barrels of flour by
his letter of the 21^st of August. 3000 barrels thereof have not yet
left your State, which you'll perceive by the return of the Naval
office; therefore nothing has been done contrary thereto from the
purchasing 12000 barrels, it is not allways to be concluded that
the same is to be exported forthwith — whenever that would have
become necessary I should have made application for the same, &
it would have been so if three large * Store ships which sailed from
Martinico on the 14^th November under Convoy of three frigates
with Cargoes of Salt & West indies produces could have reached
the Shores of America.
Permit me now to observe to your Excellency that to this day
from the moment of the arrival of the Count de Estaings fleet in
the American Seas, 8000 barrels of flour have not yet been furnished
to the Royal Marine from the United States comprehending the
supplies furnished that very fleet, off New York, Rhode Island & in
Boston.
It is also incumbent on me to inform you, that his Majesty's fleet
off Georgia, was ardently wished for & expected in the run of
October last. It was intended that it should Cooperate with the
American Army & should be seconded by a large body of militia:
this body was not assembled, no fleet arrived here & notwithstanding
these two circumstances, all the flour procured in Pennsilvania for
the sole use of that fleet, has been taken from my Agents for relief
of the Continental Army: what was Shipped on board vessels bound
to Join the fleet, has been demanded & granted; no flour has been
delivered by the Commissaries on the eastern Shore: the whole
of what remained & which had been purchased at the greatest expence
&c with immense trouble by M^r Smith of Baltimore has been seized
& wrested from the hands of my Agents under pretence of the
immediate relief of the American Army, the Vessels chartered to
export the same ha've been refused a permission to load; His
Majesty's Ship the Fendant then in Chesapeak could not have been
supplied from the King's Stores in Baltimore, because they were
no more at my disposal, & what is still more incomprehensible the
provisions have been seized in consequence of Circular letters under
the dates of the 17^th January & 3^d february Coppies of two of which
I have the honor of inclosing, in order to know from you whether
they are genuine & whether they had the sanction of the Govern-
ment of Maryland: I shall draw no Consequence, nor make any
inference from those f aits; I can only request you'll please to submit

* These vessels have been blown off the Coast, have put in Cape .... are
refitting to proceed further.

Brown
Book No. 8

i
.

i

i

r

t