The H. of Representves. ask what particular ports are proposed to be furnished with gunboats, & how many to each. I will give a list of the ports, but instead of saying how many to each, I will throw them into groupes as below, & say how many boats to each groupe. will you be so good as to state how many you would think necessary for each of the ports below mentd. to give them a reasonable measure of protection in time of war? also to strike out & insert ports in the list as you think best.

Misipi river	}	12	}	22
L. Pontchartrain		6
Mobille River		4
St Mary’s	}	2	}	32
Savanna		8
Beaufort		4
Charleston		12
Cape Fear		4
Ocracock		2
Chesapeak bay & waters—				40
Delaware bay—				12
New York	}	25	}	43
N. Haven		2
New London		6
Newport		8
Boston	}	12	}	38
Salem & Marblehead—		4
Newbury port		2
Portsmouth		6
Portland		4
Kennebeck		2
Penobscot &c. &c.		2
Passamaquoddy		4
				187
in long Island Sound	}			10
above Hell Gate
				197