[Capt. Silas Talbot New York.] Sir War Office Nov^r 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 — [Capt. Sam. Nicholson Boston.] Sir War Office Dec^r 9. 1793. Your letter of the 30^th 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 sister order". That order relates only to the two amidship pieces which are straight pieces, and not to the [underline: filler] 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 allude to, I should have no [undecipherable] for three of those places you must order the constructor not to apply it to any other place, unless [undecipherable] useful for the purpose first intended. [M^r David Stodder Baltimore.] War Office Dec^r 31. 1793. Enclosed is an extract of a letter from [undecipherable] [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] [undecipherable]