In my respects of the 17th. Ultimo, I had the honor to hand you Copy of the Royal Edict creating a Court of Admiralty in this Country, wherein it is also ordered, that the Tonnage on foreign Shipping in the Ports of Spain, should be raised to an equivalent to that paid by Spanish Vessels in ⟨a⟩ll foreign Ports. Our Vessels pay in all Ports of Spain five Cents pr Ton, but I apprehend when they are informed how much Spanish Vessels pay in the United States, they will charge us here an equal sum. This would bring the balance ⟨g⟩reatly against us; Yet there has been no change.

I am happy to hand you the Letter ⟨i⟩nclosed from Consul Lear but doubt not you have long ⟨s⟩ince received Duplicate

Inclosed you have the Marine ⟨   ⟩ List till first of January last. This with that of Alicante includes the arrivals of this District as some few Vess⟨els ar⟩riving in other out Ports, are on the List from this ⟨P⟩lace. The Ship Bradford of Newbury Port Captain John Clark has been stranded near La Matta on this ⟨Co⟩ast, and sold for account of the underwritters I have frequently ⟨ap⟩plied to the abovementiond Master to deposit his Papers in the ⟨Co⟩nsular Office since the loss of his Vessel agreeable to act of Congress, ⟨bu⟩t have received no other but insulting refusals, and on this Day, the 22 May, I wrote him to return the Papers for Canceling wh⟨ich⟩ he has in the same manner rejected. I have the honor to be truly Sir Your Obedient humble Servant