The cause of this seizure was, says one unauthenticated account, because Bass requested permission to trade, was refused, and then threatened to bombard the town.
"The Naval Pioneers of Australia"
Louis Becke and Walter Jeffery
Washington was not willing to bind himself, and returned answer that as Howe's note was "unauthenticated, and addressed to nobody," he could take no notice of it.
"The Siege of Boston"
Allen French
But Scott had the difficult task of deciding whether the unauthenticated pieces were to be assigned to Swift.
"Sir Walter Scott as a Critic of Literature"
Margaret Ball