[Extract]
No 48:
My Lord.

I have received the Honour of your Lordship's Letters No 18 & No 19, & have explained very fully to M: Florida blanca the Transactions relative to the Northampton Prize: I likewise laid before him such Ad­vices as I had received from Cadiz & from Ferrol, distinguishing those to which I gave Credit, from those which I had only reason to suspect. For I had heard that there was strong ground to believe, that the Gov­ernor of Cadiz, notwithstanding his Professions, had suffered the Caro­lina Vessel lately in that Port to depart with Arms, & a greater Crew on board, than she came in with. I apprized him further that I was in­formed of two or three Vessels having received Arms at Bilbao, & represented very explicitly to him that nothing was more important at this Juncture than a very strict Observation of the Orders, which he had promised me should be issued, & of which I expected the [sic] see the Effect as soon as they could be supposed to have reached the Several Ports.

He assured me that he had already signed & sent most of them, that the Remainder should be forwarded without Loss of Time & strictly obeyed, & that he would make the fullest Enquiry into the Cases which I had mentioned to him. . . .