place where the powder was, in order to defend it, and oppose the landing of Troops, which report had made to consist of one hundred and eighty; and being extreme hot weather, and lying out together, has killed several of them.

The people in the back country of Carolina have re fused to sign the Association, but unluckily they had no ammunition, or else these people would, to a man, oppose the rebel party. The Militia of Charlestown was ordered against them to enforce it, but these heroes refused. They said they took up arms to defend their property in Charles town, and did not understand being sent to the back country and leave it behind them. Some few, about fourteen, deserted from them, and entered on board the Tamar, in consequence of which the Committee published martial law, and directed that such of them as misbehaved should be punished, &c., in the same manner as soldiers. This gave offence to many, and some laid down their arms, declaring that they were free, and took up arms to maintain that freedom, and not to be made slaves of by their own Committee; so that they are but in a confused state. Three or four Regiments would completely settle these scoundrels. I hope sincerely that their Town may be served the same as its namesake has been near Boston; they richly deserve it, and are daily taking as much pains as possible to provoke General Gage to do it.

The Cherokee sloop-of-war, with Mr. De Brahm on board, arrived at Charlestown the 7th of September, after a passage of ten weeks. Mrs. De Brahm died fifteen hours after her arrival. The Captain of the Tamar has taken the Cherokee under his charge; so De Brahm will be already in a squabble, as she was sent out to assist him in his survey. This account is from De Brahm to Governour Tonyn. I suppose he will come here if he can get an opportunity, or else go to Providence.

I have heard the Cherokee is a fine sloop, but has only eight guns on board, although she can carry many more; she is as large as any of the sloops-of-war in the service. Governour Blue we hear nothing of. The Committees never trouble him; a good reason for it, for he certainly is as great a rebel in his heart as any of them. The Georgia people talk of attacking us; the fort, therefore, has been brushing up, the embrasures widened, &c., under the inspection of the Lieutenant-Governour. Tonyn applied to me, but I had no money; he then spoke to Moncrief, but he durst not draw on General Gage. The workmen, Hewitt, &c., would not strike a stroke till they knew who were to be their paymasters. They would work for any one who ordered them, except…. At last, Moultrie set them to work. Hewitt says he has no objection, for the Lieutenant-Governour is a good paymaster. Humbert, the carpenter, the other day asked me if you were coming here. I asked him why. He said he had been told you had wrote me word that you would be here in the fall. I told him you had intentions of that kind, but did not now expect you, as there was so much disturbance to the north-ward. He replied it was a great pity, as the tradesmen would be disappointed, for they had all resolved to make a large bonfire and illuminate their houses as soon as you came ashore. But for this man, he will absolutely ruin the Province; for he pays no one, either for publick or private work. Governour Grant’s bills were good; he paid well; to be sure he sometimes made hard bargains, but then he always paid people. Ay, if he was here, some good might be done for the Province; but at present. So much for Humbert.

Your furniture is in the same state; nor do I see a prospect of its being settled. He shoves off Yates with by and by, and time enough, &c. His Excellency gave a dinner yesterday to the Fourteenth, and some others. It is the only one he has given since the one he gave to John Stuart, on his arrival; and for this purpose he borrowed from Moultrie, his cook, Ned, and the mulatto woman, Hester. How he does when he is by himself, nobody knows. A very severe copy of verses appeared at Payne’s corner lately about him, his lady, and their flogging the negroes, &c. The author no one can guess at; but there was great truth in them, and they were not very bad.

Poor Cummings died about a fortnight ago, after a short illness; we have had a sickly season. I, who am seldom sick, have had the fever, and, after getting almost well, relapsed, but am now quite recovered. The Provost-Martial, Dod, came in Lofthouse; he seems disappointed in his expectations; he says you told him it was worth three hundred Pounds a year; but he has been sick, and so have his wife and son, and therefore he cannot yet know much of the profits of his place. The old Levitts and the youngest son talk of going to England in Lofthouse, but the Governour is very averse to it, although no reason can be given for his being so, except his being fearful of Mr. Levitt’s telling his relations of the life he leads. Frederick and Fanny go home in Lofthouse. Mrs. Ward is to go with them. As soon as they are inoculated, they are to go to school; a good education is what I intend to give them, that they may the better be able to help themselves when they grow up.

Skynner is, as usual, very attentive to your interests, and your crop is in a thriving way. I have not seen it for some time, owing to my late sickness. Moultrie has really made a crop of rice at the Mosquito; but his indigo, as it used to be seven years ago, is lost for want of vats. The Doctor has plenty of provisions, and will have more indigo than he expected, but I cannot say how much. Mr. South well’s plantation is doing very well. Poor Bissett, about ten days ago, had his barn, by accident, burnt, with all his corn, indigo, &c., to the amount of two hundred Pounds. Egan minds his planting; he also gets about thirty Pounds a year from the rebel Delegate, Lynch, for inspecting a plantation which he has upon Cumberland. He goes to it (being only seven miles from Amelia ) once in ten days; therefore, he does not neglect the other by it.

There arrived here, about four days ago, a Colonel Kirk land, one of the back country settlers in South-Carolina. He refused to sign the Association, and was the occasion of many others doing so. William H. Drayton did his utmost endeavours to gain him over to their party, but in vain. They then offered a reward of two thousand Pounds sterling to any one that would apprehend him. He escaped at last from a party who was in pursuit of him, by getting between them and Charlestown, and took that road which they not in the least suspecting, he got safe, after a journey of two hundred miles, to Lord William Campbell’s house, and from thence the next morning on board the man-of-war. He says the back settlers are two to one in number more than the rebel party. They got some powder, but when it came to be divided, they had only two rounds a man. He sails from hence in the transports to Virginia, in order to proceed to General Gage. He has an honest, open countenance, good natural understanding, and may be a man of infinite use, when Troops are sent to Charlestown, (which surely will not be long.) Even now, were a Regiment to be sent up Savannah River, these back settlers would meet them, and the two Provinces of Georgia and Carolina would he thrown into terrour. The Committee have prevented salt and other articles, which they cannot do without, from being sent to them. These circumstances inflame the back settlers, who only want ammunition to do themselves justice. Kirkland has undoubtedly great weight with those people. Since he came away, his plantation has been ransacked, five thousand weight of indigo destroyed, and his sixty negroes he knows not where. He has with him a son, about twelve or thirteen years old, who escaped by being dressed like a girl, for they used their utmost endeavours to get him, in hopes the seizing his child might bring him to terms. You will undoubtedly see him, and he will give you a true state of the Southern Provinces. The above particulars you may depend upon, and I write them that you may not be without intelligence in regard to a part of the world you have already served in with so much success. The Catawba Indians are with the rebel party, but they consist of a few; and as these back settlers are seated round their nation, they intend to seize their women and children the moment they hear they attempt violence.

John Stuart got some powder from Tonyn, and sent it by an interpreter and an Indian to the Creek Nation; but they were met by some Georgians on the north side of St. Mary’s, who had got information from one Captain of this Province, who seized the ammunition and carried it to Savannah; however, the interpreter and the Indian proceeded to the nation. Stuart’s Deputy wrote him word, some time since, if they did not get powder, he could not