Surveyors Office May 28^th 1800— Sir M^r Govett, Clerk to the late M^r Francis, has stated to me that a considerable time since, One hundred bags of inferior crude Salt petre was sent from the military Stores to the Stores of deposits, for the purpose as M^r Govett understood of having it refined & Worked into Gunpowder. a suspicion of its quality was entertained at the time, and a bag of it was sent to D^r Hunter to analyze it he found it to contain but about three pounds of pure Salt petre and the remainder what he called common Salts. The Bag Originally contained upwards of One hundred Weight — I thought it best to give up all the deposit Stores to avoid expence; this article only remains to be disposed of, I submit it to your better Judgment whether it would not be adviseable at this time while Salt petre is valuable to direct me to have it refined and made the most of — removing it from Store to Store will only incur expence, and 'tis most likely that in process of time it may be lost by the rotting or the breaking of the bags, or at last left as useless lumber — I am Sir very respectfully Your Obed^t Ser^s Hon^ble James M^cHenry Esq^r Secretary at War