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Dear Sir
London 3d February. 1759.
My Arrival here happend on the 13th of November, after a passage of 24 days from Halifax. My view in this voyage, I did comunicate to you, in my Letter from Louisbourg, dated 16th September last. Mr Townsend, on whom I depended is yet my friend, and will do what lays in his power for me. Unluckily, before my Arrival, a Quantity of Coal, 3000 Chaldron, was at a great Expence shipt from hence, which, with what is already at Louisbourg, will serve for the next Winter, and whether we shall keep possession another, is uncertain; were the case otherwise circumstanc'd, I have no doubt, of Obtaining a Contract, for the whole Colliery of the Island, which I could make a very good use of. Nevertheless, I hope to do some what or other, before my departure (which I intend shall be Early in the Spring) that will prove it worth my while coming to England; in the Mean time, I am preparing a Small Cargoe, Suitable for the Halifax Market, which I shall send out in a [Skow?] that will Sail for that place in a fortnight or three Weeks
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I have secured a pretty good credit in England, and am offer'd by my friends here what goods I please but I shall by very cautious in taking more than I can see a prospect of turning into cash in time, as I'm resolv'd to be punctual in my payments.
This will be deliver'd you by Mr Robert Grant, One of our council at Halifax, a particular friend and Acquaintance of mine. He is a very worthy, sensible man, and as such I beg leave to recommend him to your notice. He is ingaged in two very important contracts with the Goverment here for the supply of the Fleet at Louisbourg and in the liver of St Laurence; the Execution of which carrys him to New England. This Gentleman, if he should go directly for Boston will give you very distretly all the publick news here, but least he should make any larry at New Yorke you'll please to take the following, as all which I at present recollected worth communicated.
No accomodation with France, is a present thought of, but Every Measure is pursuing, in order to push the war with the utmost rigour. We have already
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been very effectualy successfull in our attempts against the french settlements on the Coast of Guiney as to our late conquest of Senegall, we have now added the Island fortress of Goree, which was taken the other day, by Comodore Reppell and which secures to us the whole of the trade of that country, andd is therefore esteem'd a most valuable acquisition Mr Reppell imediately sail'd from there, and is supposed to join Comodore Moor, in the West Inidies, that I hope [?] this comes to hand, you may hear, of the reduction of Martinuo, St Domingo, or some other valuable conquest in that part of the world. But for a crowning shoke we have now great reason to expect, and very soon, the long wish'd reduction of Incbeck and its dependancies - a might force, for this purpose is preparing, and near ready. 24 sail of the best ships of the Line are to be Employ'd, and three regiments from hence are to be embark'd Mr Saunders a proved good man is to have the command by sea. and General Wolf, that of the land forces which are to operate the River Way, while General Amherst
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who commands in Chief, heads the hooks by way of the Lakes - Admiral Holmes goes out in this Expedition, as does Coll Townsend, a son of Lore Townsend, a good officer. The French, tho mightily distressed, puff away, of their intended early preperations for America, descents on England, and what not. We very happily know all this to be meer Garconade being absolutely certain, that it is out of their power to fit out any fleet which may be Equall to oppose our grand Armaments in that way. That now seems the Crisis of their fate, and the time is ever when we may effectually avail ourselves of that most persidious & cruel enemy, in the utter destruction of their affairs in America. The Spirit here is up as neither money, nor application is wanting; and if the people in America do their duty / and tis expected that the Provinces lease many Men, at least as they did last year , surely, with the blessing of divine providence we may reasonably hope that the year 1759 will be the happy eera of the Compleat Salvation of the English setlements in North America.
We are all in deep Mourning here for the death of the Princess of Orange; and that of the King of Spain, is hourly expected, he being given over, by his physitians, what effects these important
[*Events may produce time must disvoer. The King of Prussia is recruiting his army very sweepfully, and it is thought their will be in an early campaign. His forces is said, when compeat, will be 200,000 strong. the Kind of Sardinia is arming, and tis expected he will be deemed as our ally - a most important summer is before us God grant it be the eve of a happy & lasting peace. farewell Sir, I've neither time, nor paper to add but with my best love & respects to the whole family, I remain D{ear} Sir, your oblig{e}d humb{le} serv{ant}. B{enjamin} Gerrish*]