Sir

Your Letter of the 18th Febry was deliverd us about 10 days since by Captn Coffin in the Sloop Diamond, of wh we advised Mr [William] Ellery at Philada desiring he woud inform you of the Vessels safe Arrival. ー Two days after Captain Coffin's Arrival, when he was preparing the Vessel to load & her Ballast out, She was unluckily overset by a violent Squal of Wind & the Tide not answering to get other Vessels alongside to lift her for some days, She coud not begin Loading till this day. We expect to have her nearly loaded agst tomorrow evening, so that She may probably sail the day following. ー Had it not been for the Accident which befell her, She woud not have been delayed here more than 5 or 6 days, She will have on board Ten Tons of Bar Iron, & we suppose about 600 Barrels of Flour, & Bread. ー The Roads have been for a considerable time past so bad, that scarcely any Common Fine Flour can come in from the Country Mills, For which Reason we are obliged to load the Sloop with Bur Flour which is at 22/6 P Ct rather than detain her to pick up a Load of Country Flour which coud not be effected for some Weeks: But as the Roads are now mending, we may expect that shoud any other Orders from you appear by the begining of next Month, we may be able to procure Common Flour pretty readily. ー

Having advisd Mr Ellery on the Vessels Arrival of your Order to apply to the Continental Treasur for the Arnot of the Sloops Cargo, He gave directions to Mr Green & Mr Howell who were coming here to receive a Sum of Money for the Use of your State, to leave a Sum of Money in our Hands for the said Purpose, wh they have accordingly done. Shoud it not be suffict Mr Ellery will settle the Ballance. ー

The Price of Bar Iron has of late been very fluctuating & extravagant. Advancing for two Months past from 40 to £60 P Ton. That in the Sloop, we have laid in for £52.10 ー At this very Juncture a general Commee of Delegates from Virga, this State, Dellaware Pennsylva Jersey & New York are meeting in Pensylva to adopt some Regulations similar to those in N England. This we hope will soon produce an Alteration in the price of so essentially necessary an Article as Iron, so usefull for the Public Service. therefore hope we shall be able to serve yo[u] better in that Article shoud you see Cause to order any more from hence shortly. ー It is not probable that the Price of Flour will drop. We are with great Respect Sir [&c.]