January 1-December 31, 1781 217

acted as mate to him, and says that he inform'd him that he applied
to the Governor and has his Verbal permission to lieve the State if
he Chose, I have inclosed a letter from Cap^t Handy which will in-
form you the reason of M^r Master not bringing the Vessel up Wic-
comico river sooner than he did, also a copy of a permit from His
Excellency Governor Lee to take on board Provision for the ships
use, M^r Master has produced a commission for the Flagg from His
Excellency John Maxwell Governor of the Bahema Islands, with
a list of the names of Thirty three prisoners Annexed thereto, And
A receipt for the Prisoners from Daniel Hughs D. C. of Prisoners
in Baltimore as I have sent M^r Lyon and two of the hands to you I
have ordered the sloop up the river until I receive your Instructions
how to act. If your Honours should be of opinion that M^r Master
is to proceed on his Voige, I request the fav^r of you to inform me
wheather he may be permited to purchase a Supply of Provision. As
Cap^t Handy informs me that the Privatear which took his vessel has
taken all his tea Coffee & Sugar, with a Considerable Q^ty of his flour
& Salt Provision. The barges continue to make depredations on the
rivers in this county an Attempt was made by one to come up Me-
nokin river last night, but the spirited behaviour of a detachment of
Militia at the mouth of the river prevented her, and after exchanging
several Shot obliged her to retire. I have now upward of a hundred
men on Duty. The company ordered from Worcester I am inform'd
by the Lieu^t will March tomorrow for this County. It is the opinion
of the officers that we shall be under absolute necessity of keeping
160 men on Duty for the defence of the County, and that number
will only enable us to post small detachments on our rivers, we have
a coast of fifty Miles in extent to guard in which there is seven rivers,
and as we have at Present no arm'd Vessels to defend us, and no
other protection but a land force I am of opinion that number of men
may be employ'd to Great advantage in the County and that from a
Smaller number we could not derive that Protection which your
Honours would wish us to have, It is certain that keeping a number
of men on duty will be attended with Great expence and inconveni-
ence but it is evident without a sufficient force we shall in general be
Plundered, and suffer every species of voilence insolence & abuse.
And I am of opinion that unless a sufficient force is continued to
prevent their depredations on the inhabitants of this County, that
many of the disaffected will Join them from motives similar to those
which first induced them to take up arms against us. We have on one
of the rivers a very advantageous post for a detachment but no house
contiguous to it in which they can be quartered, as the season of the
year does not require a warm house I request the fav^r of your hon-
ours to permit me to build barracks of planks for their reception at
the public expence, this can be done by the people on duty without
nails or any other expence but the planks and a small Quantity will

April 29