Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 57

[Sharpe to Amherst.]

To S^r Jeffery Amherst the 13^th of May 1762.
S^r
Tho I was persuaded there has been no such infamous
Trade as you mention in Your Letter dated the 15^th of last
Month carried on from this Province nor any Provisions sent
hence to Ports out of His Majesty's Dominions I thought it my
Duty on the Receipt of that Letter to lay it before the Gentle-
men of the Council & to ask their Advice thereupon in pursu-
ance of which I have renewed my Instructions to the several
Collectors & Naval Officers within this Govern^t enjoining
them to take particular Care that no Provisions be exported
in any Vessel whatever from this Province more than a suffi-
cient quantity for the Crews Subsistence unless Bond with
good Security shall be given (agreeable to the Directions of
the Act of Parliament that was made about five years ago to
prevent the Exportation of Provisions from these Colonies to
any place not within the King's Dominions) for landing the
same at the port for which such Vessel shall clear out. This
they are of opinion is all that can be done by me unless a
general Embargo was to be laid throughout the several
Colonies & I much question whether even that would hinder
such Persons as have corresponded & traded with the Enemy
from supplying them with Provisions for I suppose such Per-
sons would not if they were reduced to the Necessity scruple
to send their Vessels out without any Clearances or to furnish
their Masters with fictitious ones. There is but a small part
of the inconsiderable quantity of Provisions that are exported
from this Province sent to the West Indies, the Rest is carried
to Boston N York & Phila^a & I am pretty Confident that if
any Persons within this Government were to send a Vessel
from any part of this Province to a Port of the Enemy's the
Transaction would not long remain a Secret nor could the
Produce they would bring back in Return be sold in the
Country or ship't hence to Europe as I am told is done in the
Northern Colonies without any hearing of it.

Letter Bk. III

[Amherst to Sharpe.]
New York 23^d May 1762.

Sir,

I am to own Your Several Letters of the 25^th April ; 10^th &
13^th May ; the first of which I received on the 12^th Instant, &
the two Latter, by last night's Post.
As the General Assembly broke up, without Complying in
any Respect whatever with His Majesty's Requisitions, it only

Original.