[Sharpe to Pitt]

Annapolis 27^th Feb^y 1761.
Sir
As soon as I received Your Letter dated the 23^d of Aug^st last
I communicated the Contents thereof to the Collectors of His
Majestys Customs & to the several Naval Officers in this Prov-
ince who in answer to the Letters which I sent to them respec-
tively do assure me that no such iniquitous Trade with His
Majestys Enemies as is mentioned in Your Letter hath to
their knowledge been carried on from Maryland & that they
do believe no such Trade hath been carried on without their
Knowledge by any Persons living in their respective Districts;
This being the Case they are unable they say to inform me by
what Artifices & Evasions the Dealers in such iniquitous Inter-
course find means to cover their criminal Proceedings & to
elude the Law, nor do I think any one in this Province can
inform me certainly how the Persons concerned in that Trade
have managed so as that the Officers of the Customs in the
Northern Colonies & in Rhode Island particularly where it is
said this Trade hath been openly carried on should not have
been at Liberty to seize the Vessels that returned loaded from
the Enemys Ports which it is said were open to all who had
obtained Protections or Lycences from the French Governors
who refused them to none that applied for them. I under-
stand however that since the Commanders of His Majesty's
Ships of War in the West Indies have made Captures of many
Vessels that were returning loaded from the Enemies Ports
very few if any have gone directly thither, but that the Trade
is now carried on in another Channel particularly by the Way
of Monto Christi on the Island of Hispaniola to which place it
is said the French who live on that Island bring their Sugars
& other Commodities in order to be ship't on board such
English & other Vessels as go thither to receive them & as
carry thither from England, Ireland & N^o America Provisions
& such other Necessaries as either the French or Spaniards
stand in need of, & I presume tho I do not know it to be the
Case that the British Vessels which trade to the abovemen-
tioned Spanish Port obtain Clearances there from the proper
Officer for the Goods & Commodities they take on board as
if the same were the Product of that part of the Island & regu-
larly purchased from the Subjects of a Prince in Amity with
His Majesty. This Sir is all I can at present write in answer
to the Lett^r dated the 23^d of Aug^t last which I have had the
honour to receive from you, but if any thing more relative to
the Subject of it shall come to my knowledge (& I will endeav-
our as much as possible to obtain farther Information) I shall
not fail to communicate to you my Discoveries; & I beg Leave