American Colonies during the Revolutionary War. 51 



and 15 barrels of apples, to Bermuda for the immediate supply of 

 the inhabitants, and that the said cargo be considered as a part of 

 the annual allowance aforesaid, for the year ensuing." 



Other cargoes of provisions are recorded as having been sent to 

 Bermuda. Among them are the dates : June 5, 1776 ; May 18, 

 177!i ; Aug. 30, 1880, etc. The Secret aiul Marine Committee, 

 ' charged with fitting out vessels with cargoes to Bermuda," was 

 discharged Aug. 2, 1776. ]5ut an act had been previously passed, 

 July 24, 1776, making an exception in favor of Bermuda vessels, and 

 permitting them to enter American ports for commercial purposes. 

 But as the governors of Bermuda considered all such traffic treason- 

 able, it must have been carried on secretly and with considerable risk. 

 Thus more or less destitution continued in Bermuda di;ring the war, 

 as the records show. The receipt of a letter or petition is mentioned 

 on May 30th, 1776. It was taken up at the session of June 6th, 

 Avhen the committee reported upon it as follows : — * 



" The committee to whom was refen-ed an extract of a letter from 

 a gentleman in Bermuda,f dated 26th April, and continued to May 

 1st, to a gentleman in Philadelphia, brought in their report, which 

 was read, and the same being taken into consideration : Resolved, 

 That the Secret Committee be instructed to fit out two fa^it sailing 

 vessels and load them with provisions, to be sent immediately to 

 supply the inhabitants of the islands of Bermuda, and that the com- 

 mittee of secret correspondence be directed to take such means as 

 they may think proper, by these vessels, to discover the state of those 

 islands and the disposition of the inhabitants ; and that the marine 

 committee be instructed to take such measures as they may think 

 proper, for purchasing, manning, arming, and fitting at the said 

 islands, of two sloops of war for the service of the United Colonies." 



No report of the results of this exj)edition has been found on the 

 records. 



In 1878-9 the islands were allowed to send from each parish one 

 licensed vessel to Savannah, New York, or other English ports, to 

 obtain provisions ; but they had very little to offer in exchange. 



* Secret Journ. Continental Congress, i, pp. 45, 46, 47 (ed. 1800). 



t The gentleman here referred to was, without much doubt, Mr. Silas Deane, 

 at that time in Bermuda, where he had stopped to purchase a '" fast sailing 

 vessel " while on his way to France, as instructed by Congress. See below, p. 60, 

 for an extract from one of his letters, probably the same one here referred to. 



