On inspecting his trunk the officers found concealed among his clothing letters and papers by which it appeared that he was to purchase an assorted cargo at Liverpool, England, and return with the same to Wilmington, N. C. The letters of instruction were from Messrs. O. G. Parsly & Co., of Wilmington, N. C., to Brown, Shipley & Co., Liverpool. The invoice* or list of goods to be purchased was as follows: 5,000 to 10,000 army blankets, 1,000 bags of coffee, blank tons of iron of various sizes, round and flat; whole amount of invoice to be $40,000. Also a list of numerous articles of clothing, &c., apparently on private account. The goods were to be shipped in a French or British vessel. With these papers were also instructions how to proceed on the arrival of the vessel off the port of Wilmington. They were to make signals from the vessel which would be answered from the shore, and if proper a pilot would be sent on board by which means the blockade would be run.

On finding these papers I telegraphed to you to know if I should detain him, partially doing so by not allowing him to leave the place although he is not under arrest. By my letter to you under date of 16th instant I mentioned that I had acted in the matter under the advice of the district attorney, but on that day I received from him a letter saying that he had no authority to act in the matter, since which I have used my best judgment under the circumtances, and hope what I have done will meet your approbation.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. W. MACY,

Collector.

P. S. -I have had the passenger's papers at the custom-house sealed up. Have had L. de Bebian, the French passenger, arrested this day.

[Inclosure Numbers 1.]

Louis de Bebian, of Wilmington, N. C., now at present in Newport, in the State of Rhode Island, on solemn oath doth depose and say that he was a passenger on board schooner Adelso, of Saint John, New Brunswick, now in the port of Newport, and now seized by the revenue oficer of that port on charge of breaking the blockade of said Wilmington. That he left said Wilmington on the 6th day of August, 1861, and bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia, but would first touch at Welchpool, in New Brunswick. That he was on board said schooner as a passenger and was to be landed at said Halifax. That when he engaged his passage with the master of said vessel at the wharf in saind Wilmington the stevedore and crew were loading said schooner with turpentine and rosim. That the schooner had a full cargo in her hold ad some on her decks. That we sailed from Wilmington on the 6th of August as aforesaid and arrived at said Newport on the 13th of August, 1861. That he understood that the said port of Wilmington was declared to be blockaded at once, before the time they sailed from that port. that he is personally well acquainted with Messrs. J. & D., McRae & Co., merchants residing in said Wilmington, and that they were the considgnees of said vessel when she arrived at that port, one of whom is Her Britannic Majesty's vice-consul at that port. That the said cargo was shipped for and on account of a house in Boston, as he was informed by the master of said vessel during the voyage, but cannot now recollect the name of the house as was told him by the

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*Invoice not found.

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