Sir  Since I was with you last, I have been informed by Fluent the Mate of the Newbury Brig (who I mentioned on a former occasion) that he knows a vast number of Vessels belonging to New England now trading from different places particularly from the Dutch, and French West India Islands to a port in North Carolina, situated Nine or Ten Leagues to the Westward of Cape Hatteras, by name Beacon Island, which lies a little way in the inside of Ocricock Bar; he was there Seven Months ago, and he declares that there is no port on the continent so famous for smuggling; giving for reason, that no Kings vessels ever have been over this Bar, nor is there any Customhouse authority near it: he has been at this place eight voyages, and Says that the Pilots for the Bar have orders from all the Trading people near it, not to make known to any Kings Vessel the depth of Water on the Bar, and to persist should they fall in with any, that there is not water sufficient for them, at the same time, this man declares that there are at full Tides 15 or 16 feet, and that he has seen larger ships than the Canceaux Pass. I thought it incumbent on me to lay this information before you, and am [&c.]
Canceaux Nantasket 9th December 1775
