I address myself with freedom to your Excellency, for a service, that no one has it more in their power to render than yourself, and which is of the greatest importance to the naval army commanded by M. de Vaudreuil. It is not to be doubted, that a large naval force will arrive at New York, either from the West Indies or from Europe. It is essential that our naval commanders should have the most exact and most frequent intelligence in this respect, respecting the number of vessels, their names, their destination, the time of their arrival, of their departure, the number of troops they embark, or artillery; in fact, not a single movement can be known with too much precision. And I must request, that you will take the necessary measures to give M. de Vaudreuil regular information on all these points. It could be wished, that you would station regular expresses to facilitate the communication between you and him. I ought to be well convinced of your goodness to take so much liberty, but the object is of such importance to the common cause, that I have no doubt of your excusing me. If the communication between you and M. de Vaudreuil is regular and sure, you might, I should think, correspond without cypher; if not I must beg you to furnish M. de Vaudreuil with a cypher to make the matter more secure, and if your Excellency will from time to time give me the same information I shall be exceedingly obliged. The procuring of the necessary intelligence must be attended with extraordinary expense; I must beg that your Excellency will charge some one to acquaint me of the sums necessary for the purpose, and to whom I shall pay it. These expenses being wholly for the service of our fleet, must be charged to the Department of the Marine, and I have taken the necessary measures that they may be exactly paid. By our last accounts from France the Duc de Lauzun, and many other officers who had sailed, were obliged to put back, having met with a storm. It is supposed they may have sailed again towards the last of June. I am, &c. LUZERNE. * * * * * TO GEORGE WASHINGTON. Translation. Philadelphia, August 14th, 1782. Sir, A cartel will probably have arrived at Boston with American sailors from England. One is arrived here with two hundred and forty sailors, whom England has set at liberty. One of the Captains, with whom I have conversed, tells me that a fleet of two hundred sail was to leave Portsmouth a few days after the cartels; they were to separate into three divisions, one for Charleston, one for New York, and one for Quebec; they are to be convoyed by frigates only; and they assure me the last division is the most important, having soldiers on board, and many articles necessary for the defence of Quebec, and for the subsistence of the inhabitants.