[Capt. Silas Talbot New York] Sir War Office Nov^th 18 1793 I have received your letter of the 16. the plan of putting the plank for your frigate into Salt Water, is doubtless proper to be adopted for the reasons you mention. I presume you have no worms in your Waters to injure it. The mode of securing it you and the Constructor will attend to — Sir War Office Dec^r 9. 1793 [Capt. Sam. Nicholson Boston] Your letter of the 30 of Novem: has been received, and I am fearful of your constructor being mistaken with respect to the Deadwood being wanted to be of white Oak — necessary to class order. That order relates only to the two amidship pieces which are straight pieces, and not to the bow or after pieces which pieces are therefore to be of live Oak — as being essentially necessary in those parts of the Ship which are most liable to Decay and very difficult to be replaced when rotten. Therefore of the pieces of live oak you allotted to should have occasion — for these of those places, you must direct the constructor not to apply it to any other place; unless it is useful for the purpose first intended. [Mr. David Stodder Baltimore] War Office Dec^r 31 1793 Enclosed is an Extract of a letter from Capt. [undecipherable] Clerk of the Navy Yard at Boston, by which you will perceive that the Schooner laden with Timber for the frigate now building at Baltimore after making many unsuccessful attempts to enter the Chesapeake has arrived at [undecipherable: probable reading: Matthias King's?]