ever was known : the regularity and particulars of which proceedings Mr. Palfrey will be able to tell you. The consignees have all taken their residence at the Castle, as they still persist in their refusal to take the tea back. Its not only ye town, but the country are unanimous against the landing it, and at the Monday and Tuesday Meetings, they attended to the number of some hundreds from all the neighboring towns within a dozen miles : — 'twould puzzle any person to purchase a pair of pls in town, as they are all bought up, with a full determination to repell force by force.
December 18th. However precarious our situation may be, yet such is the present calm composure of the people that a stranger would hardly think that ten thousand pounds sterling of the East India Company's tea was destroy'd the night, or rather evening before last, yet its a serious truth ; and if your's, together with ye other Southern provinces, should rest satisfied with their quota being stor'd, poor Boston will feel the whole weight of ministerial vengeance. However, its the opinion of most people that we stand an equal chance now, whether troops are sent in consequence of it or not ; whereas, had it been stor'd, we should inevitably have had'em, to enforce the sale of it. —The affair was transacted with the greatest regularity and despatch. Mr. Rotch finding he exposed himself not only to the loss of his ship but for ye value of the tea in case he sent her back with it, without a clearance from the custom house, as ye Admiral kept a ship in readiness to make a seizure of it whenever it should sail under those circumstances ; therefore declin'd complying with his former promises, and absolutely declar'd his vessel should not carry it, without a proper clearance could be procur'd or he to be indemnified for the value of her : — when a general muster was assembled, from this and all ye neighbouring towns, to the number of five or six thousand, at 10 o'clock Thursday morning in the Old South Meeting house, where they pass'd a unanimous vote that the Tea should go out of the harbour that afternoon, and sent a committee with Mr. Rotch to ye Custom house to demand clearance, which the collector told'em was not in his power to give, without the duties being first paid. They then sent Mr. Rotch to Milton, to ask a pass from ye Governor, who sent for answer, that "consistent with the rules of government and his duty to the King he could not grant one without they produc'd a previous clearance from the office." — By the time he return'd with this message the candles were light in [the] house, and upon reading it, such prodigious shouts were made, that induc'd
