[Translation]

Most excellent Sir.

My Lord,

I have taken into Consideration what Your Excellency says in your Office of the 9th. Inst: relative to two Cases, which you mention, of Ships which have lately entered the Ports of Coruña & Bilbao.—With regard to the first, your Excellency states, that it is not an American Vessell as it is thought to be, but an English one, named the Three Brothers,¹ which was taken by the Privateer Cunningham, & the Sale of which is intended, adding, that the Commandant General is apprized of it, although you think he may have been misled by wrong Informations.

With regard to the second, it has been asserted to your Excellency that the Privateer Hibbert took another English Vessel under the Cannon of Bilbao,² and carried it into that Port. I am writing to both Places to know thoroughly the Truth of both the Cases, and can assure your Excellency, that the King's Orders are strictly observed everywhere: But I will not omit laying before you, that, according to the Advices which I have already received from Coruña, there has been no Intention of selling the Ship called the Three Brothers, but merely of disarming and laying her aside there for the present; and with respect to the other, which is said to have been taken under the Cannon of Bilbao, I cannot but think that the Information must be groundless, from the Circumstance of the Judge not having made me a Complaint of it, it not being natural that an Insult of that Nature should be left to be represented by a third Person.

A short Time ago an English Frigate attacked and took, under the Cannon of Muros in Galicia, a Vessell commanded by Captain Buchomere coming from the Colonies, and carried his Prize into Lisbon, where he sold it.—We undergo other frequent Grievances of the like kind from English Ships of War, which cruize within Sight of our Ports and Coasts. The Insults which the Spanish Flag suffers in the American Seas are even more frequent and more serious, although our Ships are on the direct Course to our own Possessions, (nor are even some of the Ships of the King's Navy exempted from this Treatment,) it being now a regular Practice of the British Navy to fire immediately with Ball, to take possession of the Ships, to recognize the Cargoes, to break open the Papers & sealed Registers, to occasion many other Vexations, & even to declare some Vessels to be legal Prizes. Facts, which unless proved as they are, would appear incredible.—We have made infinite Applications & Complaints to the English Ministers, in the most moderate and friendly Terms, upon these irregular proceedings, but unfortunately we have not yet received due Satisfaction in any one Instance.—Your Excellency loves the publick Good & Justice, and knows how important the preservation of Peace between the two Courts is, and that, in order to procure it, both Courts should strive to exceed each other in fixing it by the Root, by avoiding all Disturbances, &c lawfull Causes of Complaint. I therefore leave it to your Excellency's Penetration & Prudence to consider, whether We, who watch the doing Justice to British Subjects in the most slight & minute Objects, can indifferently see, that while we receive continual Protestations of the like kind from the British Cabinet, no Measures yet reach the stopping the Evils of which we complain, nor give any Satisfaction for the Grievances already suffered. I repeat my Obedience [&c.]³

S^t. Lorenzo,

12^th. Oct^r. 1777.