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SIGNATURE RICHARD W. INGRAM
TITLE TREASURER
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
This schedule contains summary financial data extracted from the annual report
dated August 31, 1998 for the Tax Exempt Bond Portfolio and is qualified in its
entirety by reference to such annual report.
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER> 1,000
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> AUG-31-1998
<PERIOD-END> AUG-31-1998
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 728,278
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 767,173
<RECEIVABLES> 11,612
<ASSETS-OTHER> 45
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 778,830
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 21,560
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 291
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 21,851
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
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<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 0
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<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
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<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 0
<NET-ASSETS> 756,979
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<INTEREST-INCOME> 34,099
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 2,515
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<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 680
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 15,918
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<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
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<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 153,381
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<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 2,017
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</TABLE>
To the Investors and Trustees of
The Tax Exempt Bond Portfolio
October 15, 1998
Report of Independent Accountants
October 15, 1998
To the Investors and Trustees of
The Tax Exempt Bond Portfolio
In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements of The Tax
Exempt Bond Portfolio (the "Portfolio") for the year ended August 31, 1998, we
considered its internal control, including control activities for safeguarding
securities, in order to determine our auditing procedures for the purpose of
expressing our opinion on the financial statements and to comply with the
requirements of Form N-SAR, not to provide assurance on internal control.
The management of the Portfolio is responsible for establishing and maintaining
internal control. In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and judgments by
management are required to assess the expected benefits and related costs of
controls. Generally, controls that are relevant to an audit pertain to the
entity's objective of preparing financial statements for external purposes that
are fairly presented in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles. Those controls include the safeguarding of assets against
unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition.
Because of inherent limitations in internal control, errors or fraud may occur
and not be detected. Also, projection of any evaluation of internal control to
future periods is subject to the risk that it may become inadequate because of
changes in conditions or that the effectiveness of the design and operation may
deteriorate.
Our consideration of internal control would not necessarily disclose all matters
in internal control that might be material weaknesses under standards
established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. A
material weakness is a condition in which the design or operation of one or more
of the internal control components does not reduce to a relatively low level the
risk that misstatements caused by error or fraud in amounts that would be
material in relation to the financial statements being audited may occur and not
be detected within a timely period by employees in the normal course of
performing their assigned functions. However, we noted no matters involving
internal control and its operation, including controls for safeguarding
securities, that we consider to be material weaknesses as defined above as of
August 31, 1998.
This report is intended solely for the information and use of management and the
Trustees of the Portfolio and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
/s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
