[Extract]

Dear Sir  I Recd yours Sometime Last Month & was Extreemly glad to hear that you had so fine a Passage & safe home among your Friends  I Could Wish myself along with you, if Coul'd get their Easy. Every thing is in Grate Confusion & a Much Heavyer Cloud seemes to hang over us then when you was here, the Man of Wars Tender got Burnt the other Day at Hampton, & they seem to Threaten Verry Much,² one of the Captns. of the Man of War is Turn'd' out³ & one Man of War more sent here she is Cal'd the Kingfisher. he seemes to Threaten a good Deal, God knows how Long the Town will Stand. for my Part I Coul'd wish my Self with You, & will Indeavour to get their if the times grow worse, Almost Every Body is moov'd their things out of Town, I have had the Misfortune in this Severe Gale on the 7 Day of this Instant to Loosse the Brigg & Cargo which is 1000 £ Sterg Loss  I had the Good Luck to Save one of our Vessells in 13 fathoms Water, with upward of 100 hhds of Rum & Sugar, only some Little Loss of Sails  But Seven People Perished  in the Brigg  the Captn & my Boy was Sav'd & they got a shore as they came in the Worl'd  not the Least thing Sav'd out of her,⁴ She would have made a Verry Grate Voiage if she had got in Safe, I have two Vessells now Laided & Sails Tomorrow, the Schooner, that Come in Last was but three Days before the Ports was Stop't & I Discharg'd her Load & Loaded hur Again. tho was oblig'd to be up Day & Night ー Please to give my Compliments to all the Family . . .