Order and letter book kept by Royal Navy officer Robert Brice during two periods in his long naval career. The first 25 pages contain orders received during Brice's service in the West Indies in 1760-1762, when he was in command of the sloop Swallow. Correspondents include Admirals Rodney, Hawke, and Anson; in addition to routine orders concerning fleet maneuvers and postings, there is also a letter concerning "the Negroes...raised for his Majesty's service" and an order to collect intelligence about French privateers from the inhabitants of the Virgin Islands.
The remaining 28 pages document Brice's service as Commander in Chief of the Irish Station in 1796, after he had assumed the name of his wife's family, Kingsmill. Most of the entries are copies of routine orders issued by him to subordinate officers, although there are copies of communiqués from Admiralty Secretary Evan Nepean. Several letters document the Navy's strained relations with Irish merchants and shippers.