Captain Crawford, a Prisoner taken at St. Johns, appears at this Board and begs to be indulged a few days’ stay in this City; which was granted him on his giving his word of honour that he would conduct himself with propriety during his stay.

Upon application of Robert Morris, Esquire, for the payment of an Order drawn on this Committee in his favour by Stephen Caronio, and in consequence of a Resolve of this Board of the 24th instant, by order of the Board an Order was drawn on John Nixon, Esquire, and others, the Committee of Accounts, for the payment of said Order, amounting to nine thousand Dollars.

The following Instructions to Captain Reed, for the better government of the Navy now under his command, were this day drawn up, approved of, and sent him:

“SIR: We think it proper to acquaint you that Commodore Caldwell has, by his letter of the 27th instant, resigned the command of the fleet, as his ill state of health will not admit of his giving that attendance which the critical situation of publick affairs requires.

“The chief command of the fleet, consequently, for the present, devolves upon you, and you are hereby directed to see all the orders from this Board or from the Assembly strictly executed. As there is the greatest reason to apprehend an immediate attack, we think it absolutely necessary that the whole fleet under your command be in constant readiness.

“The barracks on Fort-Island being now ready for the accommodation of the officers belonging to the boats, you are directed to order all the boats to be stationed at Fort-Island. No officers of the fleet are to absent themselves without your leave, or the leave of the commanding officer; and you are not to suffer more than two officers to be absent at one time without some evident necessity, taking particular care that such officer return punctually at the time mentioned in his leave of absence. No officer of the fleet is to lie out of his boat or other vessel to which he belongs, without your leave, or the leave of the commanding officer.

“As the safety of this City and Province depends chiefly upon the armament under your command, we direct you to pay the strictest attention to the duties of your important station, and to establish such regulations as will conduce to promote good order and discipline, without which no military establishment can long subsist.”

The Committee appointed to consider of a proper mode of providing Cartridges for the different bores of Fire-Locks in the hands of the Associators report, that the practice of our Commissary, upon the authority of Books, is, two-fifths of the weight of each Ball to a charge of Powder, which proportion has been ascertained by actual experiment, as lately reported by a Committee appointed out of the Battalions in this City, as published in the publick prints, adopted by this Board and entered on our Minutes.

That this proportion, reduced to different Bores, is as follows:

That, in order to ascertain the numbers and sizes of each Musket through the several Battalions in the Province, for the government of our Commissary in making up Cartridges, we take the liberty to recommend to this Board to furnish the Committee of each County with one or two sets of Punches, to mark 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, &c., also, with as many sets of Formers as will answer to the above seven sizes. That each Committee appoint to each Battalion a person to size the Guns, and mark each size on the Breechpin or on the lower end of the Barrel.

That each Colonel issue orders to the respective Captains, or Commanding Officer in each Company in his Battalion, to send an exact account of the number of good Fire-Locks in their several Companies, with the sizes of them, which shall be entered by the Colonel in a book to be kept by each Regiment, to be denominated the Size-Book.

As soon as the sizes are obtained they must be immediately transmitted to our Commissary, and any increase in the number of Fire-Locks to each Battalion reported from time to time, that the number of good Fire-Locks in each Battalion may be always known, and that the quantities of Cartridges suited to each bore may be constantly furnished, tied up in bundles, and marked with the respective sizes.

Resolved, That the above Report be confirmed and ordered to be printed, and copies sent to the several County Committees to furnish their Colonels of the respective Battalions.

Resolved, That the above Report be approved of, and that two hundred copies be printed, to be sent to the Committees of the different Counties.

Resolved, That Commissary Towers be ordered immediately to provide forty-four sets of Formers and as many sets of Punches, for sizing and marking the Fire-Locks of the Associators, to be immediately sent to the Committees of Inspection and Observation in the different Counties in this Province.

In Committee of Safety, May 30, 1776.

Present: James Mease, Chairman, John Nixon, George Clymer, Samuel Howell, James Biddle, Owen Biddle, John Cadwallader, Thomas Wharton, Jun.

Upon application of Robert Morris, Esq., the Board gave orders to Lieutenant Hume, of the Armed Boat Ranger, to send two men on board a Pilot Boat going down the Bay on publick service.

Robert Towers, Commissary, was directed to deliver one ton of crude Sulphur to Messrs. Bidwell and Walter, for refining.

By order of the Board an Order was drawn on Michael Hillegas, Esq., Treasurer, in favour of John Nixon and others, the Committee of Accounts, for ten thousand Pounds.

Robert Towers, Commissary, was directed to deliver to Mr. William Thomson, or his order, one ton of Saltpetre, and a proportionable quantity of Sulphur, for working up into Gunpowder at his Mill in Warwick Township, Bucks County.

Resolved, That the representation made to this Committee from the Committee-men of the Borough and Township of Bristol, in Bucks County, be sent up immediately to the honourable House of Assembly, as the matters contained in it appear very important and proper for the notice of that House.

In Committee of Safety, May 31, 1776.

Present: James Mease, Chairman, John Nixon, Samuel Morris, Jun., James Biddle, Samuel Howell, David Rittenhouse, Owen Biddle, Alexander Wilcocks, Thomas Wharton, Jun.

By order of the Board an Order was drawn on John Nixon, Esq. and others, the Committee of Accounts, for forty-four Pounds ten Shillings, which, with fifty pounds of Gunpowder ordered to be delivered him by Robert Towers, Commissary, is in full of two hundred and twenty-eight pounds of Saltpetre, manufactured in this Province, and received by Mr. Towers.

Some days past the honourable Continental Congress sent the following Resolve to this Board; which is ordered to be entered on the Minutes:

“In Congress, April 3, 1776.

“Resolved, That every person intending to set forth and fit out a private Ship or Vessel of War, and applying for a commission or letters of marque and reprisal for that purpose, shall produce a writing subscribed by him, containing the name and tonnage or burden of the Ship or Vessel, the number of her guns and their weight of metal, the name and place of residence of the owner or owners, the names of the commander and other officers, the number of the crew, and the quantity of provisions and warlike stores; which writing shall be delivered to the Secretary of Congress, or to the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Convention, or Council or Committee of Safety of the Colony in which the Ship or Vessel shall be, to be transmitted to the said Secretary, and shall be registered by him; and that the Commander of the Ship or Vessel before the commission or letters of marque and reprisal may be granted, shall, together with sufficient sureties, seal and deliver a Bond, in