[Inspector G^o Fleming W[est] P[oint] April 17. 99 [undecipherable] from Phila] West Point, April 17. 1799 Sir, I have written a certificate dated this day at foot of an account of M^r. Crane's, amount two thousand seven hundred & 28 dollars & 98 cents — which account he will present to you with this letter. He will if necessary attest to said account in Philadelphia. I now inclose you sections of a shell for the two iron 13^4/10 inch marine mortars at New York — of a shell for the brass 10 inch mortar at Governor's Island, and of a shell for the 5 french brass howitzers of 8^6/10 inches caliber at Governor's Island. As Muller gives no directions to construct marine shells, I constructed a shell agreeably to his rules for a 13^4/10 inch land mortar, and added one third of the thickness of its metal to it which I found, by calculation, would weigh 244 pounds. I was induced to choose this weight from my finding by the weights I have of marine shells in my manuscript books, it is about the medium weight — The lightest in said books is 211 pounds & the heaviest 269 pounds. On my return from Philadelphia last summer to New York Col^o. Stevens & myself particularly measured the diameters & lengths of the chambers of the 5 brass french howitzers of 8 & ^6/10 inches caliber on Governor's Island, and concluded a shell of about 50 pounds weight, agreeably to the french rules, would be of a more suitable weight for them, as the chambers are quite small, than a shell made agreeably to the section I handed to you in Philadelphia — I constructed on my return here a shell for them of the 50 pounds weight, and forwarded it with the section of the shell for the mortars of 13^4/10 inches caliber to Col^o. Stevens. M^r. Lueet, who has the shells cast at his furnace about nine miles from this garrison, informed me Col^o. Stevens approved of the said sections & directed him to cast shells accordingly to them. I have seen at M^r. Lueet's furnace some ten inch shells cast agreeably to the section I delivered to you in Philadelphia. — About 500 powder casks to hold 100^lbs each will be requisite this summer to replace the casks unfit for further service in the powder magazine. I am with great esteem, Sir, Your most obedient Humble servant, Geo. Fleming Major Sam^l. Hodgdon.