War. Office May 14. 1795. I have received your letter of the 26^th. Your suggestion for pickling the white oak timber when dipped into salt water is doubtless a very good one. The matter will be transmitted to M^r Hachet copies of the directions from M^r. Humphreys, the constructor of the Arsenal building at Philadelphia. In one of them he suggests that it would be expedient to bore the end [undecipherable] and for a certain part to run a [undecipherable] through the center, and then to fill the auger holes and the openings with [undecipherable] in order to prevent the rotting of the timber. As M^r Hachet approves the project of boring & [undecipherable], the putting them into salt water will more effectually preserve [undecipherable] I am desirous that M^r Humphreys application of salt [undecipherable] may be given as M^r. [undecipherable] proposes, and if the time they shall lay in the salt water shall raise a doubt whether they are sufficiently penetrated, the dry salt may be [undecipherable] applied. I understand that the copper arrived at [undecipherable] — Neave New York is merely for the frigate building at that place. A similar arrival has happened at Philadelphia. The copper for all the other frigates may now be expected daily at the respective ports, or at ports convenient to those where the frigates are building. Unfortunately a mistake in copying the directions for the bolts in the office of the Commissioner of the Revenue, last year, has occasioned the sending out the largest bolts of 1⅞ the inches diameter, instead of 1⅝ths. Experiments have been made to reduce them. It is under consideration whether to reduce them or not. The bolts which have arrived here are of pure copper. I hope it will be made certain that the bolts of composition procured by M^r Sharp are as tough as pure copper. Your pay shall be remitted without delay. Yam Sir, Y^r m^ost ob^t Serv^t Timothy Pickering Captain James Sever.