Notice has been given me in the most secret and confidential manner, that our Deputy Governor has received instructions from M de Grimaldi to protect, in case of necessity, any American vessel that may arrive in this Port, but on no account to publish his having such orders, except he should at any time find it absolutely necessary. This notice, My Lord, Your Excellency may be assured is without doubt, as the person from whom I had it, read the order, at the same time earnestly requested that in case Your Excellency should make any use of this information, it may be ,done in such a manner as to prevent its being suspected to have been divulged at this Port. I suppose the order has been general throughout the Ports of this Kingdom.

I have likewise heard from this same person under equal secresy, that about a month or six weeks since, the Spanish Minister desired to be informed if American ships came here, and ordered the Deputy Governor to form his reply conformable to the tenor of a paper which was transmitted to him by the said Minister, who hinted that Your Excellency had made application on the subject of those vessels. The answer was, that if any such vessels came here, they hoisted English colors, and that the real property could not be known.