“The Inclosed letter I have this day laid before the Council of this State, who have directed me to inclose it to your Excellency, desiring (if you think proper) when a convenient opportunity offers it may be forwarded agreeable to its directions.”
Derby apparently enclosed the council’s letter of this date to the Massachusetts delegates in Congress. “The Bearer hereof Capt. Jonathan Edy,” the council writes, “has brought us a Petition from the Town of Onslow in Nova Scotia representing their distress’d situation & praying relief either by sending them Forces, or Vessels to bring them away. We are truly concern’d for their unhappy condition, and should be glad to afford them assistance were it in our power; but as the General Court is not sitting, we conceive that we are not authorised to do any thing in the matter. We must therefore refer Capt. Edy to you. He will give you a particular account of the circumstances of that Province, and what he thinks may be done for their relief and the service of the common cause—We leave it with you, Gentlemen to take such steps in the affair as you may judge best.” The letter, which is signed by John Winthrop, is in DNA:PCC, item 65 (see also Force, American Archives, 5th ser., 1:733–34)
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-05-02-0408