The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

PORTS MOUTH, July 22, 1774.

SOMETIME this Week, the Committee of Inspection of this Town were credibly informed that a considerable Quantity of Tea was designed to be smuggled here, by Land, from the Eastern Part of the Massachusetts-Bay, and consigned to a certain Merchant to vend the same. The Committee took the most prudent and early Precaution to prevent the same; they directly appointed a competent Watch to keep a good Look out on both Sides of the River, and waited upon the Consignee, who informed them, "that he was totally ignorant of any such Consignment." Whether the News of this Transaction reached these Land Importers, (as is probably the Case,) or not, is uncertain, but this much may be depended upon; no Tea has yet arrived, nor we believe will, such is the Vigilance of the Committee. and such the Attention of the Watch: and the Minds of the People instantly subsided on that Account : But still to keep up the Anxiety of them, the Apprehension of the Arrival of a Ship from London fill'd us all with Perplexities; but on the Morning of the 20th Instant, the long expected Ship arrived here from London, which she left on the 16th of May, on board of whom the Committee directly repaired; and upon the most accurate and diligent Inquiry, it appeared from the Information of both the Captain and Mate, that not one Ounce was shipped on board her upon Freight for America, which being reported, we are now in a State of Peace and Quietness, free from the disagreeable Apprehensions of any Tea's soon coming here, to plunge us again into Difficulties, One Thing is very remarkable, that when the Committee were going down the River to examine the Ship, they very providentially came up with a Boat in which had been two young Lads, one of whom had just fallen overboard, and had not the Committee arrived at that very critical Moment, he must inevitably have been drowned, as he was then sinking; so that the most determined Enemy of his Country must allow, that Providence makes Use of, and approves of such Men for some valuable Purpose, and none can be more so than the Preservation of the Life of an harmless Individual, We since hear the above was only some Bags of Meal.