Sir:

The bearer hereof Josiah Quimby, has been long a neighbour of mine in the Province of New York, he has a very good mechanicall head & has been successfull in severall projections. He is now upon a scheme of an Extraordinary nature, but will be of great use and wonderfull advantage especially to these American parts & particularly to your city of Philadelphia if it succeeds. One part of it is by fire vessells contriv'd & manag'd in a particular manner to destroy any number of ships of war comming to attack any sea-port or place scituated on a navigable river, & that without much danger to the defendants or place besieg'd. The other is by machines of no great expence to burn the sayles and Rigging of any such ships & rigging will do it) before, or as soon as they can reach the place. He has a very large share of naturall abillities of mind, & being a quaker is willing to believe his scheme will not prove unacceptable to friends, being callculated only to destroy ships and not take away the lives of men. He has communicated his scheme to me, as I suppose he will to you & Mr Pen if you desire it, but in such a manner as not to be made publick without his consent. To me, who have not competent knowledge in the pyrotechnicall science to forme a propper Judgment concerning them, they carry an appearance of probability; but you may have some knowing men that may discover their defects or render them more fit for the purpose intended than they are, should there be any occasion to use them, w'ch I hope you never will: & am &c

L.M.

To Collo Thomas, governr of Pensilvania