Philadelphia. 2 June 1798 — My dear Hamilton. I have just reed. yours of the 1^st. [strikethrough: Dear Sir] I have calculated to be able to leave this on wednesday, to examine the harbour of New york. and with the best [strikethrough: of] the best advice I can procure, determine on the [strikethrough: what] what further works can be constructed [strikethrough: and] out of the means that can be spared. When you should need at Nyork and may had apprehensions from the French Fleet, your best engineers proposed to erect three block houses two on the east Bank and one on the west Bank or point It [undecipherable] then they should. These were expertly capable of affording a more proper defence. Be so good as to free [undecipherable: see?] Lt. Stevens to have a pilot boat engaged and the proper apparatus ready to take [strikethrough: the depths of] [undecipherable] on and [strikethrough: ascertain] [strikethrough: determine] the quality of the ground or bottom yours [signed] A Hamilton [note: KFQ12]