Captain Wise, Commander of the hired Ship MARY at Deptford, desires in his letter of the 31st last month that he may have two dozen Hammocks for his Men. We direct you to cause the Owners of the Ship to supply her forthwith, or that she be furnished out of the King's Stores, and the Charge thereof deducted out of the hire of the Ship.
Captain Wise also in his letter desires that ten Men be added to his Ship's complement. You should let us know whether the number allowed her is not sufficient for her, and if not, whether it is necessary to add the number her Captain desires.
We also direct you to cause so many of the ST. DAVID's Men as shall appear at Portsmouth to be borne and victualled on board such Ship in that harbour you shall think fit, so that they may be kept together to assist in the weighing of the ST. DAVID.
You have proposed that the five hundred Men going to Jersey may be allowed one pound of bread and one pound of cheese each day, and that a quantity of salt may be provided at the rate of half a Bushell a Man for the [?] six weeks they are to be victualled. We direct you to cause them to be victualled accordingly, and that the Victualling Commissioners hire Vessels to transport these provisions.
We have received your letter of the 31st enclosing extract of a letter by the Master Shipwright at Sheerness to the Chatham Commissioner concerning the inconvenience caused by the cutting off of the horse- way at Sheerness. We ask you to consider this matter and report to us when we will judge what is necessary to be done.