119 | From Jeffery Amherst

    New York, 24th. May 1762.

    Sir,

    Lowder arrived here this moment, and Delivered me Your Letter of the 18th. with a Postscript of the 20th.498 Enclosing a Resolve of the Council regarding the Exportation of Flour, which is so Contradictory to the one You transmitted me in Your Last, that I cannot Reconcile them: In the first they Represent “the great Distresses of the Inhabitants for Want of Flour &ca.; and Desiring those Commodities might be allowed to be Exported from Pensylvania & Connecticutt, upon Bond being given to Land them at Boston”; This You will find by mine of Yesterday I agreed to, on certain Conditions;499 but by the last Resolve the Council seem apprehensive from no Embargo being Laid at Philadelphia (as they supposed) that the merchants of Boston already overstocked with Flour would be Considerable Sufferers unless they were permitted to Export Flour (the very article which they were before afraid of being in want of) & therefore Requesting a Relaxation of the Embargo at Boston, might be obtained with respect to the Article of Flour, & that they might be permitted to send it to Quebec, Newfoundland, or other English Ports to the Northward.__

    You will have seen by my last, that I had certain Intelligence of the Enemy’s having Entered into a very Extensive Scheme for being Supplyed with Provisions for their Fleets & Armies at the Havannah, from this Continent, by the way of Providence:500 The Discoverys You have made by the seizure of the Sloop Sally likewise Confirm their Designs; And as this is a matter of the most serious Consequence, and that nothing but a General Embargo can prevent the Merchants from supplying the Enemy, as they seem Determined to try Every means to Carry on a Trade, however Destructive to the Country in General, that promises a Considerable profit to themselves; I must once more, Request that the Embargo may be Continued in the Strictest Sense on all vessells, but Such as I have already Excepted.__

    I Shall acquaint Lt. Govr. Colden of the Seizure of the Sloop Sally: Altho’ the master has Seemingly behaved in a candid manner, I must observe, that he has either Sunk, or Secreted his Papers, for it appears by a List of vessells now in my Custody, that were Suspected to be out on this Clandestine Trade, that the Sloop Sally, John Shoals, master, & Lawrence Kortwright owner, was Cleared out for Jamaica the 26th. Janry. 1762, Loaded with Provisions, Deal Boards, &ca.; but I am very glad she has fallen into the hands of the Province Ship, and You will take such measures with the master as You judge best.__

    I Thank You for the Extracts from the south Carolina Paper, which I had not seen before; and I am particularly obliged to You for the orders You were giving for forwarding the Recruits: I wish to see Some of them here, as they are greatly wanted to fill up the Corps that are going on Service.__

    I am, with great Regard, Sir, Your Most Obedient, Humble Servant.

    Jeff: Amherst.

    His Excellency Governor Bernard.

    LS, RC BP, 9: 287-290.