ought to prevail. Besides the carpenters from the city, some country carpenters are employed, who have a chief, as well as the former, and being a more diligent set of people than those from the city, have very deservedly (though somewhat injudiciously) some marks of special favour shown them.

From this distinction sprung envy, who never fails in all similar cases to rear her head. I will only remark, that such favour ought to have been shown in a manner somewhat less open. Yet, in favour of the country carpenters, I must say, that they labour harder, and do not stand on the punctilium of stated hours. Likewise, I believe, had the country carpenters been first engaged, they might have been hired for six shillings per day, and thus been an example to the others. The breach is already pretty large between them. Should it continue to widen, so that it becomes necessary to remove one party, my advice is, to remove those from the City.

We have seen that the two oxen, in one day, drew twelve pieces of timber and four pieces of cannon from the landing to the block-house—a labour which would have employed, according to our experience, twenty men for two days. In other matters, this holds exactly similar. Therefore, twenty men, at three shillings per day, provisions included, is, for two days, six pounds; and two oxen, with the teamster, cost, if hired for one day, twelve shillings. Here rises a balance of five pounds eight shillings per day.

Your winter’s firing will be impossible to get without oxen. In getting that, and drawing of timber, each yoke will do the work of thirty men, at least.

This makes the reason appear evident, why I have so strenuously recommended the procuring of oxen. They will cost thirty bushels of corn and one load of hay, per head, in four months—equal to about seven pounds; and then, if care is taken of them, they will sell for the original price; but if they are kept in the same manner as the two we have now, I confess they had better be left alone, for you will want new oxen every fourteen days.

The next and greatest grievance to be considered is, the erroneous principle on which our labourers are procured. Instead of hiring them for a month, and thereby giving them an opportunity of harassing us in the shocking manner they do, I humbly think, gentlemen, that you ought to recommend it, that they be enlisted for a limited time, suppose six months, under the denomination of pioneers, or whatever else may be thought a proper appellation for such a body.

I cannot omit mentioning, that when I first took a superficial view of the ground, I judged it to be less rough than it proves to be. I likewise thought that there was more wood, which made me put down more axes, bill-books, and spades, than I now find necessary, we being here in the very extreme of rough ground. Yet the number sent up is more disproportioned than even my rough estimate. I will point out the just proportion of tools, as they ought to be given to the workmen; it may be of use.

In extreme rough ground: 1–10 shovels, 1–20 spades, 1–16 miner’s hammers, 1–8 jumpers, 1–16 wedges and cold chisels, 1–8 small crowbars, 1–40 large do., with claws, 1–8 mauls, 1–16 pick-axes, 1–8 grubbing-hoes, 7–80 axes, 1–20 bill-books.

In extreme fine soil: 1–4 spades, 1–2 shovels, 1–8 grubbing-hoes, 1–16 pick-axes, 1–40 axes, 3–80 bill-books.

The mediums must be calculated according to the nature of soils between these two extremes.

We cannot work here without powder. I know it is scarce; but suppose it to cost even ten shillings per pound, and that four miners make eight holes per diem, with an inch auger, which require each two and a half inches of powder. This will make twenty inches of powder. Now, twenty-one inches of powder, in an inch hole, make three pounds; therefore, three times ten is thirty shillings; and four miners, at six shillings per day, is twenty-four shillings—together, two pounds fourteen shillings. And these four miners will break more stone than thirty men with mauls can do; yet these thirty men would cost you, provisions included, three shillings each, which amounts to four pounds ten shillings per diem.

Another thing I have to remonstrate to you, gentlemen. This is, that the Steward never yet has been made to keep a regular book of the accounts of his delivery of provisions, &c.; which, however, in my opinion, is highly necessary. Likewise, that a person ought to be appointed, who should take an exact account of what tools are delivered out in the morning, and to whom; observing at night that the same person returns a similar tool, be it whole or broken. This method is far preferable to that of throwing by a broken axe, maul, or crowbar, while nobody knows how tools are expended. In my humble opinion, the Steward could do this, without adding much vexatious labour to his present employment.

The number of strangers who come, nolens volens, to visit us, is a gross grievance. A rascal, who does not vouchsafe to lift his hat to us, nor even avoids to insult us, comes into our innermost recess, and interrupts us, perhaps at a time when we are consulting the welfare of the community.

By noticing the above mistakes, and properly amending them, I make no doubt but we will, in this day of need, save a great sum of money for our country.

I entreat you, therefore, to endeavour the making of the necessary alterations, in which I am highly interested, by reason that the rank 1 hold endangers me of being made the butt against which all resentment may break; because, if the present measures continue, my calculations will prove erroneous; but if these mistakes in proceedings are altered, as I propose, my estimate must prove true, or nearly so. The power lies with you, gentlemen. I have never received any kind of instructions from the Congress or Committee, that may serve me as a line for the regulation of my conduct, except that I understood their intentions were, that I should give you my advice, and therefore consider myself in duty bound to be content under your direction of affairs in every particular; but I could not forbear taking this liberty, in telling you what I think the most eligible path to pursue.

I am, with the greatest respect, Gentlemen, your most obedient humble servant,

B. ROMANS.

To the Commissioners for Fortifications at the Highlands.

P. S. The draught of the above writing was prepared before Captains Bedlow and Grenell came up. Since that, some variation in our distribution of labourers and masons has taken place. Though it is better than the former, it is still very absurd, and only serves to show the instability of our plan.

They now stand thus, viz:

Carpenters, thirty; masons, sixteen; smiths, two—forty-eight artificers: steward, one; cooks, five; overseers, two; gunner, one; seamen employed on shore, two; seamen employed on board of vessels, four; mortar-maker, one; actual labourers, fifty-two—total, sixty-eight. In all one hundred and sixteen.

Estimate of the Expense that will accrue in the finishing the Fortifications in the Highlands, laid before the Committee of Safety, in NEW-YORK, on the 2d OCTOBER, 1775.

2, 400 perches of stone wall, each porch containing 16½ feet in length, 18 inches high, by 12 wide, at 5s. 6d., £660. 2½ bushels of unslacked lime, are taken up by each perch, is 6, 000 bushels, 6d., £150.

1, 000 pieces of ranging timber, 18 feet long, 12 inches square, for five block-houses, and for the merlons of the battery, &c. This contains 216, 000 superficial feet, at 6s per hundred, (at Windsor Landing, ) £648.

1, 500 two-inch plank, for platforms of the battery and floors of the block-houses—400 of 24 feet long, 10 inches wide; 1, 200 of 20 feet long, 10 inches wide—49, 600 feet; say 50, 000 feet, (at Windsor Landing, ) at 6s. per hundred, £150.

1, 200 beams and sleepers, for block-houses and platforms, of different lengths, from 8 to 24 feet long, 9 inches by 3, supposed to contain 50, 000 feet, (at Windsor Landing, ) at 6s. per hundred, £150.

3, 200 for each, is 16, 000 shingles for five block-houses, at £5 per thousand, £80.

140 laths, of 14 feet long, for each, is 700 laths, of 2½ inches by 1¼, for the roofs of five block-houses, about £15.