there shall be a necessity for furnishing any new bisket, bags, iron hoops, or tight butts or puncheons for beer or water to any of his Majesty's ships, I do oblige myself to furnish the same at the rate of 2s. per bag and 55s. per tun for the laid cask, reckoning two butts or three puncheons to a tun, and 2s. for each iron hoop, and I do agree and oblige myself that the said casks shall be made of good, sound, seasoned staves, free from sapp, and of ye following dimensions and gauge, viz: each butt to gauge one hundred and eight gallons, Winchester measure, to be 26 in. broad at the head and the staves 52 in. long and 1 in. thick at the chime andths thick at the bulge, and that each puncheon be 41 in. long, 25 in. broad at the head and to gauge 72 gak W. M. and the staves 1 in. thick at the chime and in. thick at the bulge and that each cask shall be marked with my name at length, with a burnt mark on the head and on the bulge stave, next the bung, that in case the said cask shall appear not to be answerable to the said conditions, a deduction may be made from my bill on discovery or proof thereof, on the judgment of two able and experienced coopers, of two-thirds the price I am allowed on this contract for the same, which abatement I do hereby consent may be made by the said Commissioners for victualing, or any three or more of them for the time being, or do otherwise agree to pay the am't thereof to the Treasurer of the Navy, if the said Commissioners shall think proper so to

direct.

10

"And whereas no new bags, or casks for beer, or water, are to be furnished but on ye most urgent occasions, I am therefore, before I supply any, to receive a warrant from the commander of the ship for that purpose, and a certificate from the signing officers (which are the Cantain, or, in his necessary absence, the next commissioned officers, Master or Boatswain) that all his Majesty's old casks belonging to said ship have been first trimmed and fitted up, w'ch order, together with the Purser's receipt, and a certificate from the signing officers that the bags and casks were actually delivered on board in kind, I am to produce to ye said Commissioners, and also my own, or agent's affidavit that the said bags, water or beer casks so supplied were actually sent on board in kind, and that the casks were not filled with rum when sent off, nor intended or designed to be made use of for rum casks afterwards, to the best of my own or agent's knowledge and belief, and that no money or other consideration was paid or given, or is to be paid or given the Purser, or any person or persons in his behalf, or any other person whatsoever in lieu of all or any part thereof. And I do also oblige myself that the casks in w'ch the rum shall be sent on board his Majesty's ships and vessels, shall be equal in goodness to ye casks made use of in exporting rum for merchandize from New England to Great Britain.

"And I do further oblige myself that no rum or beer shall be supplied on this contract in any other casks than what shall be numbered and have the contents of the gallons in each cask marked on the head thereof, and that the beef shall not be delivered in any other manner than in pieces of 4 pound w't, nor pork than of two pounds, and that the said beef and pork shall always hold of such weight as that every twenty-eight pieces of beef, cut four pound pieces, taken out of the cask as they rise, and the salt shaken off, shall weigh one hundred pounds, neat avoirdupoise weight, and that every fifty-six pieces of pork cut for two pound pieces and taken out of the cask as they rise and the salt skaken off, as from the beef, shall neat 104 pounds, avoirdupoise w't, and that there shall not be put in at any time with the flesh any unusual pieces, such as leg bones, shins of oxen, or the cheeks of hogs, or ox hearts &c. And I do oblige myself that the casks containing the flesh shall be full bound and full of pickle.

"And I do further oblige myself and engage that all the provisions that shall be issued on this contract shall be sent on board his Majesty's ships in kind, and no money paid in lieu thereof, and that they shall be good, sound and sweet and in all other respects fit for his Majesty's service, and the best of each kind that New England does afford, and that the rum shall be none of it less than six months old at the respective times of supplying the same to his Majesty's ships, and that said provisions shall all hold good for six months after the delivery on board the respective ships, and in case any part of the said provisions delivered as aforesaid to any of his Majesty's ships or vessels shall be found defective and be cast by survey within the time of the said six months warranty, I do hereby consent and agree that it shall and may be lawful for the said Commissioners of the Victualing Office, or any three or more of them for the time being, to put a stop or make abatements out of any bill or bills of mine made out for the said provisions and signed or unsigned by said Commissioners for payment, to the full value and at the same price as I am allowed for the same, for indemnifying his Majesty, and in case any provisions are to be returned to me or my order, there shall remain no bill or bills to issue, or that the bill or bills so remaining shall not amount unto a sum sufficient to indemnify his Majesty as aforesaid, then I do hereby oblige myself, my heirs, ex'rs, and admin's to make good the same to his Majesty and in case any provisions so cast by survey shall be returned from the ships to any of the agents for victualing his Majesty's Navy, the said provisions are to be returned to me or my order if I shall think to demand the same or ye product thereof.

"And it is further agreed with said Commissioners that before I furnish any provisions to any of his Majesty's ships, I am to receive a warrant from the Commander thereof for so doing, and also a certificate from the signing officers of the ship, setting forth the particular occasion for such provision being wanted and the quantity thereof, and upon my producing to said Commissioners the said warrant and certificate, together with the Purser's receipt aud a certificate also from the signing officers, of the quantity and species of Provisions (expressed in words at length) received, and that the same were delivered on board in kind and were good and fit for his Majesty's service, together with my own or agent's affidavit, which is to be on the foot or on the back of the receipt signed by the Purser, that the said provisions (mentioning the quantity and quality at full length) were actually delivered on board in kind, as therein expressed, and that I or my agents neither have paid or given, or are to pay or give to the Purser, or any person or persons on his behalf, or to any other person whatsoever, any money or other consideration in lieu of all or any part thereof. I am to have bills made out for the same at the prices before mentioned and numbered in the course of the victualing, to bear interest at 4 per ct. after six months from the date thereof, and I do oblige myself constantly to take three receipts, signed by the Purser, for provisions supplied on this contract, and to send two of them to the said commissioners.

"And I do further oblige myself that on application being made to me or my agents by the Pursers of his Majesty's ships and vessels, to supply them with necessary money for their bills in ster'g on the said Commissioners, at thirty days after sight. And it is also agreed with the said Commissioners that they will discharge and pay the said bills when due, upon the following certificates from the Captain or commanding officer being transmitted at the foot of each bill, viz: This is to certify the Commissioners for victualing his Majesty's navy, that months necessary money is due to Mr.

of his Majesty's ship

Purser

under my command, since his last indenting or being otherwise supplied with necessary money, and that the sum of £ drawn for in this bill does not exceed a proportion of two-thirds for the said time.' And it is hereby understood and agreed by and with the said Commissioners that the aforesaid bills for necessary money, are to be for the proportion of two-thirds of what was actually due at the time of drawing of said bills, and not for any necessary money that may become due after the respective dates of ye bills.

"And I also engage that my agents for the time being, shall communicate a copy of this contract to the Captains or com

manding officers, and to the Pursers of such of his Majesty's ships as shall from time to time apply to him, in order to peruse the same.

"And I do oblige myself to deliver weekly to the Admiral or commander in chief of his Majesty's ships in New England, or when the commanding officer for the time shall require it, during the continuance of this contract, an abstract of all the provisions remaining in my stores, and likewise an abstract of the several species and quantities of provisions issued to each of his Majesty's ships every week at New England.

And it is hereby further agreed that I am to furnish rice in lieu of half the quantity of oatmeal that shall be demanded, after the rate of pint of rice in lieu of a pint of oatmeal, and the quantity of rice that shall appear by ye vouchers to be supplied to his Majesty's ships shall be paid for in the following manner, that is to say 32lbs of rice shall be allowed to be equal and shall be paid for at the same price as 1 bushel of oatmeal.

"And for the due performance of this contract, I do bind myself in the penalty of £2,000 in case of my failure in any part thereof; and I do oblige myself to procure two able and sufficient persons, such as shall be approved by the said Commissioners, to be bound with me jointly in a bond to his Majesty, of £2,000, for the due and well performance of the said contract, which is to commence the thirtieth day of November next, and continue for twelve months certain, and further until six months warning shall be given on either side of the determination thereof.

"In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the day and year first before written.

ROBERT GRANT.

"BEEF CONTRACT. Contracted and agreed this twentyseventh day of July, 1774, with the Commissioners for victualing his Majesty's navy, for and on behalf of his Majesty, by me, Robert Grant, of London, Merchant, and I do hereby bargain and sell to his Majesty, and oblige myself to deliver, free of all charges and risque, into the boats of his Majesty's ships and vessels at New England, that shall be sent for the same, all such quantities of fresh beef as shall be demanded for the use of his Majesty's ships and vessels at the said port, for one beef-day and one pork-day in each week, during the space of twelve months certain, from the eighteenth day of November next, and further, until six months warning shall be given on either side, at the rate of nineteen shillings and five pence and five-eights of a penny per hundred weight, and I do agree and oblige myself that all the beef that shall be demanded as aforesaid, shall be delivered within forty-eight hours after each respective demand being made, and that all the beef that shall be delivered on this

contract shall be good, fat, well-fed ox beef, in all respects fit for his Majesty's service. And it is also agreed that before I furnish any fresh beef, to any of his Majesty's ships or vessels, I am to receive a warrant from the commander thereof for so doing, and also a certificate from the signing officers of the ship (which are the Captain, or in his necessary absence the next commissioned officer) Master or Boatswain, of the want thereof; and upon my producing to the said Commissioners the said warrant and certificate, agreeable to the forms annexed, together with the Purser's receipt and a certificate also from the signing officers of the particular quantity of Fresh beef (expressed in words at length) received, and that the same was actually delivered on board in kind, and was good and fit for his Majesty's service, together with my own or my agent's affidavit, which is to be at the foot, or on the back of the receipt, signed by the Purser, that the said fresh beef (mentioning the same and quantity in words at length) was actually delivered into the boats of his Majesty's ships in kind as therein expressed, and that I or my agent neither have paid or given, or are to pay or give the Purser, or any person or persons on his behalf, any money or other consideration in lieu of all or any part thereof, which said receipt from the Purser and a certificate from the signing offcers, and affidavit from myself or my agent, are to be rendered according to the forms annexed, I am to be paid for the said fresh beef by bills made out at the price before-mentioned, and numbered in the course of the victualing, to bear interest at four pounds. per ct. after six months from the dates thereof: And I do oblige myself constantly to take the receipts signed by the Pursers for fresh beef supplied on this contract, and to send two of them to the said Commissioners.

"And I do oblige myself or my agent for the time being, to communicate a copy of this contract to the Captains or commarding officers, and to the Pursers of such of his Majesty's ships and vessels as shall from time to time apply to me or him, in order to peruse the same.

"And I do bind myself to the exact performance of every part of this contract, in the penalty of five hundred pounds in case of my failure in any part thereof; and I do also oblige myself to procure two able and sufficient persons, such as shall be approved of by the said Commissioners to be bound with me jointly in a bond to his Majesty, of five hundred pounds, for the due and well performance of the said contract. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year first above written. ROBERT GRANT.

In presence of JOHN WATTS,

ROG'R SOUTHERTON.