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[Page 3]
but to bear his insults, or lose my Daughter, who I believe would not exist long if I left her to go to the Porpoise. After we parted from Sir Richd. Strachan, and was from under all command but bearing all responsibility, I went on board to Read my Commission. In this act C. Short behaved in a most insulting manner told me I had assumed a Title I had no right to, that I was no Governor until I arrived & recd. my command, & that he would try me by a Court Martial or I should try him, all this I bore properly and I have given a full scope to his brutal temper and bad heart. When I was directing the Course the other day without making any signal & were out of the common order of sailing he fired two shot at us one of them went close ahead & the other close a stern so that it was wonderful they did not hit us. Upon every trifling occasion he writes on Service for my advice, yet without my interfering with him he is raging that he is only under my Command with respect to the Course & Rendezvous.
Altho he agreed to let me have Lieut. Putland with me, & who I would have if he was not my Daughters Husband, yet he keeps him on board the Porpoise. On the intended departure of this Ship Justina he wrote to me a letter wishing a reconciliation to which I wrote no answer. Indeed my Dear Sir this Man's conduct has been so extremely