[Illegible Text: Some or all of the pages of this file are wholly or in part illegible. We have not been able either to locate a better copy of the document, or to enhance its legibility electronically.] Philadelphia April 1^st 1793 Cap^t. [undecipherable] (Esteemed Friend) [undecipherable] a few weeks ago I happened to meet with a Builder who resides at Kensington (and who as I apprehend is a person of Character & Reputation) the Subject of our [undecipherable] turning on the frigates which are now building [in] the United States, the person informed me he [has] been in Company with [undecipherable] of Baltimore, a few days [ago] [at] [undecipherable] who told him he had seen the Draught of the frigates which he appeared to admire, and told the same person to [undecipherable] him to Draught & model the frigates [undecipherable] better than the persons who were employed by the Secretary of War for that purpose. [I] think he would not [build] the frigate at Baltimore, [going] to the Draught nor then [undecipherable], but would as far as he pleased, [paying] for [undecipherable] than any other persons, or an expensive [undecipherable], therefore should not pay any attention to the [undecipherable] or [Mouldings], and live for the purpose of Building the said Frigate, [undecipherable] would be not [in] Conformity to Directions from any persons appointed to [Supervise] the aforesaid Frigates. There were also many other expressions which [has] excited my Memory, as it appeared to give the aforesaid person more reasonable Grounds for [Suspecting] the Construction of the [undecipherable] of the M.S.A. & the [Cap^t] who is appointed to superintend the [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] were deficient in abilities to conduct the Business (10^th) and [undecipherable] also to Convey [Prejudices] against the [Officers] of the [undecipherable] [departments] of Government, I thought it my duty to acquaint you [of] these Circumstances in order to prevent any [bad] Consequences that might result from [such] [undecipherable] and likewise to let you know that if any alterations should be made in the said Frigates not by express order of the Department of War, that it was [undecipherable] [by] [Builder] [undecipherable] previous to Building the said Frigate I think [Samuel] [undecipherable] was present at the time this Conversation [transpired] I remain with respect your [obed^t] [undecipherable] Josiah Fox. [seal]