[Mess.^rs Nichklin and Griffith] War Department 30^th May 1798 Gent.^rs I request that you will be pleased to provide for the Ship of War Delaware, Six pairs of Pistols, Sixteen Stand of Arms with Bayonets for the marines, and Sixteen Cutlasses — I am Gent.^rs &c &c [His Excel.^cy The Governor of Massachusetts] War Department 30^th May 1798 Sir It is extremely desireable, that all the Naval forces the United States can command, should be put into a State of Activity as Speedily as possible — Hitherto and particularly by the failure of a Contract, the Government has found it impracticable to procure the Cannon requisite for the [strikethrough: upper] Battery for the Frigate Constitution at Boston — It has however lately been stated that there were at Castle Island, in the Harbour of Boston, nineteen [strikethrough: from] Iron Cannon of Caliber to carry Eighteen pound Shot which from their Length and Weight appear to have been designed for Ship use, and to be improper for the embarrassing of Fortifications. That Captain Nicholson has seen and examined these Cannon and is very desirous to obtain them for his Ship — By the direction of the President, I have therefore to request of your Excellency a loan of fourteen or Sixteen of the Cannon mentioned, and to offer on the part of the United States, an engagement, either to return the same Guns as soon as others can be provided for the Frigate; or to replace them with Guns equally good; and in the mean time, if desired, to order the same Number of thirty two pounders Cannon from Providence to, and for the defence of, Boston Harbour. — It is presumed that the State of Massachusetts have had balls purposely cast for these 18 pounders. If so, and Your Excellency will furnish with the Cannon a suitable Quantity of Shots, the United States will punctually & promptly return an equal quantity. — [Col.^o John Fitzgerald Alex.^r] [Sam.^l Hughes Esq.^r] [Phil.^e June 14^th] War Department 31^st May Sir I have received your Letter of the 12^th Instant — It will I expect, soon be in my power, to send to the Works, two officers of the Corps of Artillery & Engineers to prove such Guns as you may have ready for that process — In the mean while I should advise you to cast a Sufficient number of Ball for the purpose of the experiment, calculated upon a windage not exceeding two [strikethrough: tenths] Tenths & one fifth of a Tenth of an Inch — What Du Plessis has observed to you, with respect to the windage, is pretty true — There is no fixed and invariable Rule on this subject — If a Rule is to be drawn from its use, that could be extended no further than an allowance sufficient to provide for any little un-