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Sir Altho' an entire Stranger permit me to address you in behalf of Messrs Willing & Morris Merchants in Philadelphia & myself & to unfold a Scheme of Trade we have Entered into with Mr John Philip Merckle Merchant in Amsterdam & to inform You that.through you this our Scheme is to be executed, and that we Esteem you as Umpire between Us. ー Your General Character and not any Personal Acquaintance hath entitled you to this Confidence, & we rest Assured Your Utmost Endeavours will be Exerted for our Interest. While I had the Honor to Attend the Continental Congress at Philadelphia as a Member from Virginia, Mr Merckle was Introduced from New York to that Body as a Gentleman of Family Fortune, & Integrity, & one in whom we might confide to Negociate a Supply of Necessary's for America. This Gentlemans good Behaviour and Attention to Business while at Philadelphia induced us to conclude he merited the Character given of him, In consequence of which Mr Morris & myself Set on foot with him a Private Mercantile Adventure, which we propose to Conduct in the following manner, We made a Contract with Mr Merckle for Ten Thousand Pounds Sterling worth of Goods Six Thousand of which he is to send us to America on his Own Account and the other Four are to be sent to Curaqoa to be delivered to you & Shipt as Mr Merckle shall direct for Us ー For these Four Thousand Pounds sterling Cargo, We are to lodge with you as much Tobacco as will pay for it allowing Thirty Shillings P Hundred as pr Contract. We propose to send to your Care three Hundred Thousand Weight which will command a larger Sum & which you will retain for the Use of Mr Merckle but not to be delivered to him until you have a Cer- tainty that the Goods amounting to Four Thousand Pounds Sterling have been sent us agreeable to the Contract which I inclose you for your Guide, the Quantity of 42, 283      being Part of this Three Hundred Thousand now Comes to you by Captn Meredith, Commander of the Sloop Content and for which you will be pleased to pay Your receipt to the Captain. The Tobacco to be retained by you for the Use of Mr Merckle, he paying all Costs and Charges attending it after delivery. The other part of the Cargo agreeable to a seperate Bill of lading comes also consigned to You and which You are to dispose of for and on Account of Messrs Willing & Morris & myself and to send the return in as much salt as the Vessel can bring 40 or 50 dozn Cotten & Wool Cards, 30 or 40 Barrels of Limes of such as the Captn approves, some Hhds of Brown Sugar, & some single & double refined some rum of best and middling Qualities, a few Hhds of Molasses, Salt being a necessary not to be dispenced with by our People, and they being now much Pinched by the want of it, I must earnestly request You, at all events, to procure as much of it as will nearly load this Vessel, & to procure a Sufficient Quantity for the Vessels that are to follow with the remainder of Our Tobacco all of whom I cou'd wish to load back in a great Measure with salt, If it is not to be had in Your Island at present, I wish you to import a large Quantity for our Vessels that are to go to you & who I hope will be with you in 3 or 4 Weeks after this.

As much depends on our Secresy in this Adventure you will keep the Purport of this Contract within your Own Bosom Mr Merckle sail'd from Boston about the 15th of Augst for Holland & I hope will get safe; as he is a stranger to Us in Point of General & Certain Character, will you do us the favour to say what you know of him & his Connexionsー

If a Dutch Bottom cou'd be taken out for the Sloop to gain her protection to our Cape it wou'd do us a favour, & if any Dutch Seamen were to come to Colour the Design, they shou'd meet with proper Encouragement, besides the Bounty that is given of 40/ to each Man. ー You will address the Vessel & Cargo to me & be so obliging as to give Us at large your Opinion of the West India Trade at present, the danger attending it, the Articles brought to you for market, & what Prices the Commodities of America will bear, & the Demand for them as well as the General appearance of things in the Political Hemisphere & the part that Holland is about to take. Is there any Insurance Office with you, and how are the Premiums. You will give this Vessel all the Dispatch in your Power. Cou'd you procure me a large Jack Ass Stallion. I wou'd give a good Price for such a One ー As YOU will probably retail in small Parcels the Articles Shipped on our Accounts to YOU for sale, I shou'd be glad You will attend to Our two Hhds No 1 & 2 mark'd RWE, remarked WMB. If I am not mistaken, the scent of it will prove a nosegay, & recommend it to great Price. I shall be much obliged by your sending about 400 Bushels of White English salt, if to be had in sack Bags containing about four Bushels. If no such salt is to be had put as much of the Bay Salt in the sack Bags, you will Oblige me in forwarding the Inclosed Letter to Dunkirk.

The Vessel deceived us greatly in loading and did not carry so much as we Expected by several Hhds of Tobacco, & many of flour, however Mr Merckles Quantity of Tobacco that we intended by her is sent & we hope the Ballance will load her with salt if not, you will supply it & be paid out of the next Cargo. I am Sir &ca