Letters to the Council. 505

tained and consequently after trial would be permitted to pursue her
intended Voyage but as such delay must frustrate the Intentions
of the owners and tend to distress their several Families Your Me-
morialist apprehends your Excellency and Honours taking into your
Considerations the above Stated Facts and being fully satisfied of
the truth thereof would in your wisdom direct that your Memorialist
be permitted to pursue his intended Voyage either with or without
your Memorialists giving Bond to exchange at the Place mentioned
or to be answerable for the Vessel and Flower if Condemned by the
Court of Admiralty your Excellency and Honours taking into your
Consideration the above Case of Your Memorialist and doing therein
as you in your wisdom shall seem right it shall engage Your Memor-
ialist ever to pray.

May 27

[Eph Blaine, C. G. P., Philad^a to Gov. Lee]

Sir A few Days will consume all the Salt Provisions in our Maga-
zines, little in this part of the Country and no Money to buy it with,
the severity of last Winter and backwardness of the Spring will
deprive us of any Grass Beef till the latter end of July or begining
of August. Should we have Assistance from our Allies as is certainly
expected, every possible exertion of the States will be necessary to
feed the Army, have therefore to beg the aid of your Excellency
and Council to adopt ways and means to secure all the spare Salt
Provisions in the State. I obtained an Order from Congress early
in April for One Million eight hundred twenty two thousand five
hundred thirty three Dollars and thirty ninetieths payable to my
Deputies agreeable to indorsement, this Money is to enable them to
pay part of their old Debts, and secure all the Salt Provisions they
possibly can. should their purchasing be contrary to the Laws of
your State, would wish your Excellency & Council to give them per-
mission, or order your County Contractors to secure all the Salt Pro-
visions within their respective districts. The requisitions of Flour
made by Congress from the States for the support of the Army will
not be Adequate to the Consumption, therefore they should make an
Additional demand.
We hourly expect to hear of the French fleet being on our Coast,
everv good man here wishes their first Object may be Charles Town,
if they are not there very soon, I fear the Consequences shou'd they
come to New York, I have not the least doubt but two weeks after
their Arrival within the Hook General Washington will be com-
pletely possessed of the City of New York and its dependencies and
that I shall be able to aggregate such a quantity of Salt Provisions
as will give our Army three months Supplies, and procure a suffi-
cient Magazine of Salt to serve the Continent two years. We had
two different Accounts of the Arrival of the Fleet off Sandy Hook
but it is yet premature.

May 27