371 | To John Pownall

    Castle William Aug. 19 1765

    Dear Sr

    Two days ago I put on board the Snow Elisabeth, William Bell, for Glasgow, as she passed the Castle, a Letter for Lord Halifax,1 containing an Account of a Riot committed at Boston, wherein A building of Mr Olivers was entirely pulled down his dwelling house (himself & family first quitting it) being Stormed & sacked, himself pursued for his Life &c. I have a duplicate of this Letter addressed to their Lordships, with a Letter to you which I propose to send by a Ship which will sail in two or three Days.2 At present seeing a Snow bound for Liverpool preparing to sail, I write this [to] introduce3 ^one of^ the News-Papers of this Day which I shall inclose with this. One of them ^It^ will give an Account of this riot pretty true, tho Partial to the Rioters. I live at the Castle, being the only Place of Safety I have: tho’ I shall continue to attend the Council-Chamber at Boston once a Week as long as I can do it with Safety; but shan’t cho^o^se to lie in Boston; as last Night some panes of my Windows were broken & Papers stuck upon my Gates. As I ^do not^ send you ^with^ this with the Last Boston Gazette, I shall send you ^it with^ the intervening Papers by the next Dispatch.4 The Snow Elisabeth was charged with these Dispatches, not as a Ship of Choice, but for being the first that sailed out of the Harbour ^for Great Britain^5 after the Riot. I shall endeavour to be very cautious in the Conveyance of my Letters for the future: on your Side observe my Seals which I shan’t vary from my Chrystal Seal with the Arms quartered & a Scutcheon of pretence__

        I am &c

    J Pownall Esqr

    L, LbC BP, 4: 10-11.