[Extract]
N.20/

My Lord, In consequence of Your Lordship's Letter N. 9. I waited upon the Marquis Tanucci and made the proper application for obstructing the Exportation of Gunpowder or other Warlike Stores from Naples or any of His Sicilian Majesty's Dominions to the British Colonies in America. The Marquis answer'd that He was very sure that His Sicilian Majesty wou'd be happy upon this, as upon every other occasion, to give a proof of His Friendship and Esteem for His Britannic Majesty, and made no doubt but that He shou'd be authorized to acquaint me very soon, that the necessary Orders had been issued to prevent the above mention'd Exportation.

I have made the most diligent enquiry and do not believe that any Warlike Stores have been as yet exported from these Kingdoms to our Colonies in America. There are Newfoundland Ships that come here every Season with Baccala, and I have known a Ship or two come here directly from New York, but very rarely.

Your Lordship may be assured that I shall be particularly attentive that His Majesty's desire may be strictly complied with, the only danger is from the Counterband which the French carry on in Small Vessels upon the extended Coast of these Kingdoms, and indeed the Marquis Tanucci hinted to me the frequency of such Counterbands as well as the difficulty of preventing them, hoping that if any such accident shou'd happen, in the present case, it might not be attributed to this Government, who wou'd certainly take every measure to prevent it.

I return Your Lordship many thanks for the Gazette with the account of the defeat of a party of the Rebels in America, I trust in God that these unfortunate and deluded people will soon be brought to a just sense of their crimes, and submit again to the mild Government of the Mother Country, the time value of which they do not seem to have known. I have the honor to be My Lord [&c]