Mr Southerne

In answer to your letter of the 14th, the rate his Majesty pays to seamen for Short-Allowance at 6 to 4, is twopence per diem, it being not the practice of the Navy to put seamen to any broken proportion of victuals, nor hath the King ever paid (to the best of my memory) any other sort of Short Allowance than that of 6 to 4 of all sorts of provisions, drink excepted. Where seamen indeed (as they sometimes are) shall be at Short Allowance of beer, also there the King hath paid after the rate of a halfpenny a day more. Where it hath happened that any particular sort of provision falls short, there the purser generally makes it good to him by money or otherwise in specie. One thing more I am to add, that many times where the purser is able he pays to[?] the company out of his own purse what is due to them for their Short Allowance, which I think no unfit to hint to you, that you may be satisfied before you pay the same to any ship, that the purser has not done it before.

I have acquainted the Board with what you propose touching your being supplied with two or three hundred pounds in new farthings, who approving very well thereof, have wrote to Sir Thomas Osborne to provide and send you the same with what speed he can, which I hope will come to you before it be too late for your use. These with my particular respects to yourself, and like to Mr Billop are all this present needful, from