"P.S. I also mention that the intended Battery is seven hundred and fourteen yards from the West-Point, and from Bunn's Hill to the West-Point is seven hundred and forty yards.

"To Pierre Van Cortlandt, Esq., Chairman of the Committee of Safety, New-York.

"An Account of what charge the intended Battery has, in some measure, already been.

"Some few other necessaries, such as deck-nails and trundles will be wanted.

"THOS. GRENNELL."

A Letter from Lord Stirling was read and filed, and is in the words following, to wit:

"Elizabethtown, January 20, 1776.

"SIR: Your letter of the 17th I have received. What you mention with regard to the Barracks, at New-York, I shall communicate to the Continental Congress. The one hundred firelocks which your Congress have been so good as to spare us, will be paid for, by the Congress of this Province, at their next meeting, the 31st of this month, agreeable to an order of the Continental Congress of the 2d instant. Such of them as are finished, you will be pleased to order to be delivered to Major De Hart, of my Regiment, whom I shall desire to call for them in his way back from Long-Island.

"I am, sir, your most humble servant,

"STIRLING.

"To the Chairman of the Committee of Safety of New-York."

Colonel McDougall informed the Committee that the Captains of the men-of-war had despatched a Pilot-boat, with mariners and marines, to the relief of the transportship at the Hook. The Committee are of opinion that notice thereof should be given to Lord Stirling, by express. Thereupon a draft of a Letter to his Lordship was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Committee of Safety, New-York,

January 22, 1776—12 o'clock.

MY LORD: This minute the Captains of the men-of-war have taken a pilot-boat, and sent her down towards the Hook, with mariners and marines on board, from twenty to. Twenty-five in number.

If your party goes to secure the ship, they should secure the pilot-boat first, or, in our opinion, there should be two or more boats with men, to contain at least fifty or more men in the whole, otherwise they may fail of success.

We have the honour to be, most respectfully, your Lordship's most obedient, humble servants.

By order of the Committee of Safety.

To the Right Honourable William, Earl of Stirling, and in his absence lo the Chairman of the Committee at Elizabethtown.

Ordered, That a copy thereof be engrossed and signed by the Chairman, and transmitted by Sampson Dyckman.

Hart Jacobs, a Jew, attending at the door, requests an exemption from doing military duty, on the City Watch, on Friday nights, which is part of his Sabbath. Thereupon a Certificate was given to him, in the words following, to wit:

Hart Jacobs, of the Jewish religion, having signified to this Committee, that it is inconsistent with his religious profession to perform military duty on Friday nights, being part of the Jewish Sabbath, it is

Ordered, That he be exempted from Military duty on that night of the week, to be subject, nevertheless, to the performance of his full tour of duty on other nights.

Colonel McDougall informed the Committee that he had purchased the sloop Sally, to be made an armed vessel, for the sum of three hundred and twenty-five Pounds, and requested an order for that sum.

Ordered, That Peter V. B. Livingston, Esq., as Treasurer of the Provincial Congress of this Colony, advance to Colonel McDougall the sum of three hundred and twenty-five Pounds, to enable him to pay for the sloop or vessel called the Sally, which he has purchased in pursuance of an order of Provincial Congress, of the 20th day of December last past.

And Ordered, further, That the said Treasurer advance and pay to Commodore James Smith, on Continental account, the sum of twenty-six Pounds thirteen Shillings and four Pence, for two months' pay, in part of his pay while in the Continental service at Lake Champlain, and that Mr. Livingston take a receipt, or receipts, for the same.

The Committee took into consideration the necessity and advantage of having sundry small armed Vessels to protect trade in this and the neighbouring Colonies, and also to seize transports with provisions intended for the Ministerial army and navy, and to prevent the same from being exported by persons unfriendly to the measures of the Colonies.

Thereupon a draft of a Letter to the Delegates of this Colony at Congress, was read and approved of, and is in the words following, to wit:

In Committee of Safety, New-York, January 22, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: With the utmost anxiety we have beheld the supply of provisions, collected last Autumn on board the ship-of-war, by the means of small boats from Queen's and Westchester Counties, for the purpose of supplying the Ministerial army at Boston. Our Congress, impelled by a desire to prevent so great a mischief, authorized Colonel McDougall to equip a small armed vessel to watch those and other dangerous supplies of the like kind.

We are informed by one of our Delegates, that Congress will readily take this vessel into the Continental service; should it be so determined her flag should be described to us, marine articles of war provided, with a roll of pay, and sent to us without delay. An acquaintance with the navigation in our neighbourhood points out the necessity of immediately equipping three other small vessels of easy draft of water, sufficiently manned and provided, both to attack and repulse the barges of the men-of-war with success, and constructed in such manner as to take shelter in coves and inlets, out of the reach of superior force, and under cover of the musketry of the country. Those vessels will effectually scour the navigation of this port and its environs, and, besides procuring offensive advantages, will prevent the abovementioned mischiefs. One of them should be stationed at Amboy, to watch the navigation from thence to Sandy-Hook; another at Elizabethtown, to attend that between Staten-Island and New-Jersey and the southwardmost parts of our Bay; another on Hudson's River; and the fourth, the parts of the Sound to the eastward of this harbour; and they all might be, occasionally, used as express boats. The one already provided is commanded by James Smith, who was Commodore on the Lakes the last Summer, with the rank of Major. He has approved himself a man of worth in the naval service of the Continent, and as he has yet received no pay, we shall advance him some money on that score for his last year's service.

Should the Congress approve of the proposed plan, we will cheerfully engage, under their direction, in the equipment of three more vessels. But, to answer the good ends proposed, their order should be handed to us without delay. The vessels completely equipped, except the artillery and musketry, which we will supply, will cost about six hundred pounds, each.

Egg-Harbour is now known to our enemies as a place of debarkment for certain necessaries; we, therefore, think that a small redoubt should be there built, garrisoned always by a proper Captain's guard, with Barracks to contain two hundred men, so situated as to command the entrance of the harbour, and provided with cisterns to take rainwater. Cedar wood is plenty there, which will answer all the purposes of woodwork; and to complete the defence, a galley, to mount a six-pounder in her stem, should, we think, be provided.

We have no grapeshot for our fieldpieces, (six-pounders,) nor coals to manufacture them. We beg to be in-