To George Washington from Captain Joshua Davis, 27 July 1775
From Captain Joshua Davis
Cambreg July 27 1775
Persuant to your Exelencys orders I Make Return of all The Boats Taken for the Coleneys Servis in manner following, Viz.
- Thirty five Whale boats in Cambreg bay & River1
- Fifty five Do In Dogester [Dorchester] Creke Near the metting house
- Six Do In the Several Companeys Statinod in Waymoth Brantory & Sgantam2
- Two Long boats three Yalls Eight moses boats3 & one Bay boat In the Cornell belo Cambreg Bridge4
- Two Long boats one Yall three Moses boats & one Gundelo5 In Menotteme River6
| Whale boats | 96 |
| Long boats | 4 |
| Yalls | 4 |
| Moses boats | 11 |
| Bay boats | 1 |
| Gundlos | 1 |
| Sum total | 117 |
Pr Joshua Davis
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Cambridge is on the Charles River.
2. Davis apparently meant Weymouth, Braintree, and Squantum Neck.
3. A moses boat is a very broad flat-bottomed boat propelled by oars which was used in the eighteenth century to transport heavy cargo across shallow waters.
4. The “Cornell” is apparently the corner or sharp bend which occurs in the Charles River a short distance downstream from the bridge at Cambridge.
5. A gundalow (gundelo) is a river barge with a high bow and a large lateen sail set on a short stumpy mast.
6. The Menotomy River (now Alewife Brook), located northwest of Cambridge, is a tributary of the Mystic River.