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Sr  As soon [as] I was honored with your Letter of the 14th Instant desiring to be informed if an English Ship from Virginia loaded with Tobacco had lately put into this Port, I made the strictest enquiries to discover the truth of this Intelligence, and accordingly find that an English Ship about 200 Tons burthen whose name is the Catherine Captain Paton Master put into this Port directly from Virginia the 23d of last Month, and landed his Cargo here of about 16000 Staves, and about 60 or 70 Hogsheads of Tobacco as far as I have been able to learn. The number of Staves is easily ascertained as they were put up to sale a few days ago but the real quantity of Tobacco is perhaps only known to the Owner & the Merchants to whom the Cargo was consigned whose Name is Murdock An Irish merchant settled here about 5 years ago. These persons having an Interest to keep the Transactions as secret as possible, it is difficult to come at the knowledge of the exact quantity, and the freedom of the Port spares the necessity of a fair Declaration ー However it is now known that Tobacco was brought hither in that Ship, though that part of the Cargo was got on shore in as private a Manner as the nature of the thing could admit of.

This Vessel is still in the Harbour, and is now repairing, nor have any preparations yet been made which indicate a design of sailing from hence soon. Previous to his arrival here, I have been told that Captain Paton put into Portsmouth Harbour for Two or three days, but I know not upon what account.

These Sir are the principal Pieces of Intelligence I have been able to collect relative to this Ship But upon a further examination into this subject and upon conversing with different people in the Tobacco Trade, I find that this is by no means the first Instance of Tobacco's being brought hither directly from america. It has been a practice I understand within the four or five years to clear out Vessels from Virginia & Maryland for St Eustatia with Staves, under which there is concealed a quantity of Tobacco, to which place they seldom go, but proceed directly to some part of the Continent of Europe. I have heard in particular of a Capt. Campbell Master of a Schooner of about 100 Tons Called the Isabella who was here twice with a Cargo of Tobacco & Staves during the Course of last year He was equally consigned to Mr Murdock, & by him supplied with Silks and Teas, with which he loaded on his return to America, taking a Clearance from hence for the Island of St Eustatia

Both of these Vessels, the Isabella & Catherine belong I am told to a Company of Merchants resident at Philadelphia and who had been formerly settled in the Island of Man.

I am &c