you will be pleased to state as near as possible, what Articles remain to be purchased and their probable cost, together with what further labours will be necessary to complete the Contract for me: It may also be proper to state what Bills remain unpaid and their amounts. It may be necessary at some terms to inform you, that as Congress having established the Pay and subsistence for the Officers and Crew, no notice may be taken of them in the said statement. The Military stores can be estimated here. "I hope Gentlemen that you will be as particular in your communication, as the Nature of the Service will admit, that a sufficiency of Money may be called for to meet all claims on the said Ship. The Secretary of War not having returned to the Office since a removal to Phil^d, it therefore falls on me to request the foregoing information. I am Gentlemen with Sentiments of the greatest respect Josiah Fox Navy Constructor --- [Mr. Freeman Chairman] Sir War Office Novem^r 8^th 1797. Your letter of yesterday's date was received this morning. I called at the Treasurers and Comptroller Office for information relative to the Mode of payment, and received from the Chief Clerk information that thereof may in future be [undecipherable] to the Naval Agent as heretofore. It will therefore be requisite to call on M^r Blaggs and State the foregoing to him and if he should object to the payment of the rent you then must write to French, Francis, Eugene [undecipherable] purveyor of Supplies in whose department the payment of the rent of Navy [undecipherable] was [undecipherable]