Sir

In answer to your Letter of the 21st I beg you will please to acquaint my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that Mr Stiles Comptroller of the Customs at this Port came onboard His Majestys Ship under my Command and told me he had an order to seize some Money that was onboard going to the Rebels I answered him that I had two boxes of Portugal Money consigned, one to the acting Treasurer of the Customs at Boston the other to the acting pay Master of His Majestys Forces I permitted him to put his seals upon them and gave a Certificate of his having done so but would not suffer him to take them out of the Ship as it did not appear to me that they were subject to seizure Mr Apthorpe before he put the money onboard having wrote a publick letter to the Board of Customs desiring to know what Steps he was to take previous to sending it out and having received an answer from their Sollicitor that no Steps were necessary if it was going in a Ship of War there being an act of Parliament to enable them to carry Bullion or Jewels I beg you will please to signify to me their Lordships directions how I am to act on the occasion as I thought had given the Comptroller of the Customs every assistance he had a right to demand and fully complied with the 44th article of the general printed Instructions I hope their Lordships will believe that I should be as ready as the Comptroller of the Customs to stop money or any Contraband articles going to the rebels which am certain will appear was not the case with the Money now onboard the Boreas I am Sir [&c.]