[Page 190] [The Secretary of the Treasury] Sir, War Office September 19, 1796 M^r George Wingbone the Constructor of the frigate now building at Boston has been authorised to select such pieces of timber at New York, as may be found there suitable to said frigate. You will be pleased therefore to take order that he be provided with the means for its transportation to Boston. [The Secretary of the Treasury] Sir, War Office September 20. 1796 M^r John Skillen of Boston has been recommended to me by, M^r Rush as a qualified artist to undertake the ornamental of the head or figure, to the frigate building at that place. He is a person that the work should be committed able assurance it he will be pleased to give such orders as may be necessary on the occasion. There is a drawing of the figure of a Hercules now preparing which I shall send forward to M^r Skillen as soon as finished. [M^r Steuart, Sen.] Sir, War Office September 21. 1796 I have received your letter of the 14th inst. It is present, either with a first Mast Spar and timber of every description and expressed to be received two years in instalments, of the 1^st and 2^d. I am attentive and propose to limit the Cape sketched. It or said instructions may be used for that purpose. I shall now be most anxious to ascertain how you are therefore prepared to select the different pieces and the amount due to M^r Hacket and have the value of the whole ascertained agreeably to the mode indicated in my letter of September last. To prevent any difficulties hereafter M^r Hacket must give a receipt for the amount in acknowledgement to owe to the United States the amount of the same at which the whole may be valued. My idea is that the timber will be reserved for the [more]