Philadelphia Nov 18^th 1796 Sir, "Agreeably to your requests I have [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to the Contents of a M^r [undecipherable] [Humphreys?] letter the [undecipherable] of the 16^th [Inst?] and after mature deliberation [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] opinion of [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] [Capitation?] into the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] I have [attentively] considered the [undecipherable] [which?] [confine?] the [process?] of [Cold?] [Corpse?] of [Frigates] [undecipherable] too [vessels?] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] by [the?] [undecipherable]) [for?] [Ships?] of such [Mountainous?] and [especially?] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] they well be found to be [well?] those [either?] we [see?] [undecipherable] [through?] [length,] being out of all proportion to their depth, will [constantly?] occasion them to [undecipherable] very much when under a [press?] of [Sail?] — [undecipherable] those of the [undecipherable] very [undecipherable] in a [Gale?] in [where?] a [Sea?] [undecipherable] [accompanied?] with a [Cap?] [result?] at intervals [which] they will [become?] and quicken than [any?] other [ships?] [undecipherable] [ever:] — I am [apprehensive?] of [undecipherable] are [put?] into [the?] [Merchant?] too [Force?] or [fashioned?] it will be attended with [bad?] [Consequences?] to their [undecipherable] — I will [observe?] these two [pieces?] of [timber?] [which?] [undecipherable] [well?] together are generally [Stronger?] than one [twice,?] but the (104) [contents?] of a Ship [have?] not always a [few?] [undecipherable] to be [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [properly?] — [General?] [weight?] [comes?] [undecipherable] and [body?] are [Subject?] to [fall?] [Short?] and [consequently?] [Uneven?] The [Strength?] of a Ship when at sea [will?] not [all?] [gotten?] [repaired?] in the [force?] of [two?] hundred feet [undecipherable] on the surface of [the?] [Timbers?] [toward?] the [undecipherable] Center[.] [Suppose?] a Ship was [built?] with too [few?] [Timbers?] upon the [undecipherable] [set?] to its [Heavy?] as a Ship of the [undecipherable] [mean?] [she'd?] [when?] [Timbers?] [more?] [Squared?] and [long?] [Elle?] against the [plumb?] and [rolling?] [battle?] the [Timbers?] were not [over?] ½ the [size?] of the [sound?] ones — [And?] as we [remove?] the immense [weight?] and purpose of the [undecipherable] of the [Frigates?] [on?] by about one hundred tons of [iron?] for hanging by the [Dependers?] we [shall?] [Consequently?] [Conclude?] the Ships Cannot be built too [Strong?] or too well — [On?] M^r [Humphreys'] [inspections?] [now?] [certainly?] / [without?] a [precedent?] of [being?] [leaving?] [less?] [Made?] I [conclude?] the risk of our [experiment?] on these Ships of too much [Consequence?] to be [admitted?] without [question?], the [Certainty?] of its [fully?] [announcing?] the purpose [extended?] with [undecipherable] injury to the Ships — If my opinion should [meet?] your [approbation?] they are [Communicated?] with the greatest [su-] [-ccess?] and believe me to remain with [one?] respect &c — Josiah Fox [Francis?] Esq^re