[Copy of a Letter from [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Pickering April [12]^th. 1795] [Copy] New york 12 ^th April 1795 Sir I have [strikethrough: had] the pleasure of your favor of the 13^th March with [strikethrough: the] the inclosures together with a Book accompanying [strikethrough: the Cotton] [strikethrough: them.] I shall take the subject contained in them into consideration and communicate to you the result of my opinion thereon, but as it is highly probable, that [strikethrough: the] Ships in question will - not be ready for [undecipherable: probable reading Sailing] [strikethrough: the] for a long time yet to come - I trust that an immediate answer thereto is not deserved therefore shall take time to investigate the subject before I communicate to you the result New York April [15]^th 1795 [strikethrough: I have [undecipherable] the pleasure of your favor of the [undecipherable] March [undecipherable] inclosures together with a Book accompanying [undecipherable] [undecipherable] I shall take the subject contained [undecipherable]] In one of my letters to the late Secretary for the department of War I took the liberty to State that a considerable quantity of Shot & Pigg Ballast had arrived at the yard for the use of the Frigate here now building at this Port - That Col. Stevens the inspector of these articles had condemned about one third of the Shot as totally unfit for service on account of their being some of those [undecipherable] [and?] were very Porous [strikethrough: with] large holes in them[,] others bore much too small in [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] with [undecipherable] and some much too large again [undecipherable] and again a large proportion [strikethrough: of] [undecipherable] ∧ them were not round [undecipherable] as that they could not be fired [strikethrough: The Shot] of these the calibers one way yet by shifting [strikethrough: these] they would pass through leaving a great windage. Even those that passed the Inspection are rough poor [undecipherable] and I believe all of them short of their [undecipherable] own weight, twelve of them as they come to hand [strikethrough: the first] the first Shot of twenty four Pounds as follows [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] No. | [undecipherable] | [undecipherable] | [undecipherable] 1 | [off?] | 6 | 7 - 1 - 0 2 | [undecipherable] | 6 | 8 - [undecipherable] - 1 - 0 3 | + | 1 - 6 | 9 - [undecipherable] - 2 - [undecipherable] 4 | [undecipherable] | [undecipherable] - 12 | 10 - 0 - 14 5 | - | 1 - 0 | 11 - 2 - 6 6 | - | [undecipherable] | 12 - 2 - 6 It is to be observed that the Inspector did not way any of them - Such of the Pigg Ballast as I have [strikethrough: weigh'd] weigh'd their weight from [undecipherable] to thirty Pound There is also landed on the wharf about one thousand and [nine?] [eight?], Pigg None of which are inspected they are however without exception the [undecipherable] ill shaped things that I ever beheld. They are neither round nor square their [undecipherable] position apparently [undecipherable] [strikethrough: the appearance] of [undecipherable] and [undecipherable]. They will not make much better [undecipherable] Voyage than common [Pigg?]. It might be well for us to have some knowledge of the contract relative to the last mentioned article, because if regular Sprue Piggs were intended by the contract those come to hand are [undecipherable] nearly all to be condemned [and?] or a very considerable [undecipherable] [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] - as the [undecipherable] mentioned in my last has not [completed?] [undecipherable] unlading Shall for the present omit sending any [amount?] of the contents of her cargo— Inclosed you have a return of the labor expended in the Yard this [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] [Task?] as also a return of some [undecipherable] from New Jersey I have the pleasure to be with very great respect your Obedient humble [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Salter