what they would lose by their winter's hunt. He is jealous of Tonyn. In a day or two, I dare say, I shall know what he intends to do and what orders he has got, but at present he has not opened. His wife being at Charlestown makes him, I fancy, apprehensive for her safely. He thinks she would be massacred should he bring down the red people; he wishes her away, and I wish so too.

Mr. Chamier I was already acquainted with. I told him of your recommendation of him. He daily receives instances of people's hospitality in this place, and your mentioning him will not lessen it. The Barrackmaster Shirreff I cannot say so much for, for I do not see any one who likes him, not from being a bad person, but from being a fool, talking nonsense, a blundering forwardness, and, although, I believe, wishing to be civil, very rude, by all accounts. He is as unlike his brother at Boston as two can well be. I am very well acquainted with him, and I am only pestered by his continually plaguing me to come and drink tea with his wife, who is as stiff and prim as Mrs. Catherwood. However, he dines with me to-morrow, and also Chamier, Lieutenant Graves, and Captain Barker, an officer of the Sixteenth, who came in the schooner, expecting to find the companies here. We heard, a few days since, of Harry's death, the mate of the hospital you got appointed; he died at sea on his way to England, has left a wife and child, and about five hundred pounds, also a will, which gives the use of the money to the wife during her life for her maintenance, and the education of his son, but if she marries, she loses all benefit of the money, and it is then to go to the child upon its coming of age, which is when it arrives at twenty-four years of age. One would think it was five thousand a year he had left, from the pomposity of the will. However, the poor woman, who had five hundred when he married her, has got by the marriage a child, and less money than she had before.

The bars of Nassau and St. Mary's have been sounded, both of them by Captain Doren and Wallace. St. Mary's I mentioned to you in my last; Nassau is as good as St. Augustine, and St. John's I sounded myself, and had nine foot at low water. When Wallace reaches you, he can, as a seaman, give the General, yourself, or the Admiral, a particular account of them. The Georgians talked of visiting us. It certainly was only talk, for there would many difficulties intervene to stop the progress of a flying Yankee party. But suppose it had been so, and they were capable of undertaking schemes of that sort, the armed schooner is at once a safe protection for this Province; one at St. Mary's effectively stops the inland passage by water, and another at St. John's would prevent their passing that river, were they to attempt any thing by land, and that would be attended with little or no expense. I say this, if the Georgians or Carolinians had spirit to make an attempt; but the truth is they are apprehensive at home. They certainly conjecture that it's more than probable an intention may be to arm the troops to the southward in the winter. However your caution of secrecy will be carefully attended to; no one knows of it but Moultrie, Stuart, and myself. Urquhart says engineers are scarce, and a number of officers employed to assist. Should a southern plan take place, as I am next but one to Montresor on the list, and of the same rank in the corps and army as he is, the General, not being able to spare him, might probably be glad to employ me, and if necessary, have the power to appoint assistants should they be wanted. Besides I am accustomed to the sun, and could escape a fever, when a healthy northern constitution might be laid up. My excursions and lying out for months together for some winters past, makes me not tender or fearful of a wet lodging, or a hungry belly; for I have experienced both. But this I entirely leave to your consideration. Indeed Boston, from all accounts, is no tempting place; but should you think it right for me to join a southern expedition, I am ready at an hour's notice; an armed schooner to come off a day before the ships sail, would be here time enough to take me in, and meet you before you reached Charlestown Bar, and in case such, a scheme should be approved of, and you like it, time might be saved by the schooner hoisting a yellow flag at her main top-gallant mast head, and firing two guns. I will be aboard of him, if the wind and tide permit, in two hours; therefore, should such a signal appear, I shall understand it. Captain Fordyce is to forward this by the safest opportunity; but if Kirkland goes soonest, he will deliver them. I need not hint to you to give Kirkland some soup, for I think you will benefit by it. I have been in such extreme hurry, that I have not been able to keep a copy of the enclosed plans; pray be careful of them, should I not be able to procure others; and for fear of discovery, I durst not trust my young men to copy them.

Adieu, and may you succeed in every thing, is the earnest prayer of your always obliged and sincere humble servant,

FREDERICK GEORGE MULCASTER.

C SHIRREFF TO GENERAL ROBERTSON.

St. Augustine, October 2, 1775.

SIR: I have only time just to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, by Captain Barker, who arrived this day, and the wind not being fair, has detained the troops now on board for Virginia, but are now weighing anchor, and I am afraid I shall not be able to get this on board. I have only to acquaint you I have already wrote to you by a Mr. Cameron, and shall observe the contents of your letter, and settle about the bills as you desire, and the very first opportunity write you. There are several other articles I much want to know your opinion of, so that I beg leave to refer you to my first letter, and the one now on board; for at present I do not pretend to take in charge any vacant rooms, as the commanding officer thinks he has a right to occupy them as he pleases; but unless something is very speedily done to the barracks, they will be down, and I have frequently spoke to the engineer on this head, and his answer is, he has no orders and so can't act. Candles we much want, and I will do for the best when they are required, and shall endeavour to give all the satisfaction I can in the discharge of my duty. Being in a hurry, I have only time to add that Mrs. Shirreff joins with me in compliments to you, and kind remembrance to all friends.

I am, wishing you all success, sir, your most obedient humble servant,

C. SHIRREFF.

Brigadier-General James Robertson, Barrackmaster-General,

P. S. In your letter you inform me the Fourteenth were paid bed money, &c., to the last of June; but Mr. Barton informs me if you will look at his accounts last sent, you will there find the corps are only paid up to the 22d of April last. As I shall have money to pay here at times, if you thought proper, it would be necessary to send me a bill to answer any demands, as no one here will take bills payable at the northward. Troops from Pensacola not arrived.

GOVERNOUR TONYN TO MAJOR DONKIN.

St. Augustine, October 2, 1775.

DEAR DONKIN: I steal a moment from publick despatches, to thank you for your favour of the 12th September. The account you give of the Rebel intrenchments does not surprise me; it was the natural consequence of our post stationed at Boston. They only followed our example. I have, however, no great opinion of their prowess. If you could get fairly to an onset with them, your army would beat five times their number. We heard of a letter fallen into your hands from Lee to Washington, advising to storm Boston, to make two places the object of attack, in the general assault; that Lee assured the success, with the loss of ten thousand men. Is this true? Will the Yankees like to hear ten thousand of them are to be killed, and take Lee's assurety for the success? which at best is doubtful, and which, I am sure must be impossible, without a formal siege, and a breach made, or I can't guess at all at what you have been about.

What I am most of all astonished at, is, that they should have cruisers to the northward, and that they should have any success with our powerful fleet. How comes this about? They have had cruisers on this coast too, and have had some success, which you will hear from your General. Shirreff and Chamier, from your recommendation of them, are entitled to every act of kindness.

Some happy transactions, are, I hope, to be expected from Guy Johnson and General Carleton. Truly it is high time Great Britain should rouse from her state of languor.