Near Downings Town 7^th Sep^r 1797 Sir I have just received your letter of the 5^th Inst. Some time before my leaving Philadelphia M^r Hughes had required a new draught from M^r DaCosta for the six pounders which by my permission he was furnished with. M^r Da Costa represented to me that M^r Busted, or his workmen informed him that the original had been lost, which circumstance he assigned as a reason for the want of preponderancy in the breech of those that had been cast. In a letter from M^r Hughes dated the 28^th ulti^mo which I received the other day it is stated, "I have finished casting all the six and nine pounders; have bored sixteen nine pounders and two sixes, the remainder will be completed in a short time." He then requests M^r Da Costa to be sent forward to prove these articles. In consequence of his information, I have ordered on the 6^th Inst. M^r DaCosta to proceed on Monday to the works to prove and examine those which have been bored, and M^r [undecipherable] to take immediate measures to have those that may be received transported to Portsmouth, that carriages may be got ready for the whole; and the greatest expedition to be employed in completing and forwarding the remainder. You will observe that M^r Hughes works under a contract made by the Dept of the Treasury, that the canon are to be rejected which does not be found to conform to the conditions; and that the dimensions of the cannon, and the depths of the internal and external holes (which will be tolerated) position of the trunnions &c &c are all designated in the contract. This being the case I have been careful that no orders or new draughts from me should furnish him with a pretext for claims upon the public, to which his contract may not entitle him, or any excuse for not having complied with it. I shall write by monday's post to M^r Hughes reiterating your orders for expedition. I doubt whether it will not be proper (as my last letters from [strikethrough: Thompson] Cap^t [undecipherable], states that every thing relative to the equipment of the Frigate was nearly completed) to transfer all further proceedings respecting her to your department, especially as you are so much nearer her than I am. If you think with me on this subject I shall direct the last letters from Cap^t Thompson which exhibit the state in which she is to be laid before you. With sincere respect I am D^r Sir yours — [Secy. of W[ar]]