Esteem'd Friends
Reynell & Coates²

My Last Salutes were paid you under 30th June since which I have received your esteem'd of the 7th July, which should have answer'd immediately had Occasion call'd & as I have Occaison now to write you, on some Real Business I shall make some Observations in said Letter by heartily thanking you for the Advancem[en]t you were pleas'd to make on Capt [William] Willcombs Cargoe, as well as for your Attachment to my Interest in storing said Cargoe for a Price & I must now entreat, that you keep it in Store untill it will obtain 2/ which must very soon be the Case, if the present Contest continues. ー Capt Willcombs Disburstments I think are very extravagant; his Sail Makers Bill, exceeds the first Bill she had of that Sort, & I cannot account for it as no New Sails were made for her, but doubt not, you've obtain'd it as cheap as possible: I think your Charge of Commission is reasonable, even if you had not made the Advance, & if those Advances are now detrimental to you, would have you sell as much Molasses as will reimburse you, & keep the Remainder untill further Orders. No doubt you have heard in this, of the Scho[one]r Woodbridge Capt [John] Williamson, being carried into Boston, & has been tried by a Court of Admiralty, & acquitted, & the last Advice Mr White was selling the Cargoe,³ Flour at 22/ & Corn at 6/ should that be the Case, & you complied with my Orders (of which I have not been inform'd) I shall make something by the Adventure, but that is a poor Consolation, for the Disappointment of the Flour; My Friends at Baltimore ship'd me, 13 Blls for my own Use which safely arriv'd here in a Vessell loaded with Cornby which Means, my Family, will be ample provided for ー I hope soon to hear from you of Capt Willcombs Arrival in Falmouth & should he return to your Place, would have him, take on Board, all the Molasses I may have left, after deducting enought to pay your Ballance, & lay with the same on Board untill the Season grows bad, & then proceed hither, provided you can get the Vessell & Cargoe insured at a reasonable Rate, as I imagine the Risque will be, but small, when the Season Advances, as the Cruisers cannot keep out much longer on this Coast, indeed the Risque now is not very great, if Care is taken by the Comm[amder]s to keep a good look out, & run by Night, or in dark Weather as Vessels arrive daily, who conduct in that Manner, & keep far to the Eastward, indeed but 2 Vessells have been intercepted that were destin'd for this Port, & one of them, was Mr Whites ー

I have within these few Days received Advice from Capt [Eleazer] Johnson of his Arrival in the West Indies, & to an agreable Markett, & as his Orders will admitt of his coming home late in the fall, he writes me the Prospect of making a Voyage is very great, & he is at some Loss wither to take on a Cargoe for this Place or proceed with a freight to France; but as I have wrote him, such Encouraging Circumstances, how to conduct himself on the Coast, & the Profitts he will make if he gets in Safe, I am well convinced he will proceed for this Place, with his Hold, only full of Molasses, & perhaps light Produce between Decks, which will put his Vessell in such a Trim as to enable him, to keep clear of most of their Vessells, she is very remarkable for Sailing, especially by the Wind, for when she was building, we had strong Suspicions of a french War, & we built her for a Privateer & she answers the Expectation as to her Sailing, for even Log Loaded the Lively Man of War; clias'd her 20 Leagues & never gain'd upon her a Mile, untill the Wind veered & bro't the Lively to Windward of her, when she with great Difficulty came up with her; I have thus given you her true Character, that if you can obtain Insurance upon her, you may be enabled to effect it on more reasonable Terms, as its Certainly less Risque on such a Vessell than common Merchantmen, she is well fitted, having two Sutes of Sales on Board, one of them entirely New, as many Light Sales, as a Brig can sett to Advantage, & rigging sufficient to keep them & the Spars in their proper Places, extreamly well manned, & a Capable Comm[ande]r who is well acquainted with the Coast from Nova Scotia to Cape Ann, & I have order'd him to keep far to the Eastward, & if he is chas'd to put to Sea, if he cannot make a Harbour, so that he might not be caught within 3 Leagues of the Land, & you may depend every Care will be taken to avoid a Capture, under these Circumstances, if the Gentlemen of your City, have an Inclination, to take Part of the Risque at a reasonable Premium, please to obtain the following Sums ー £ 1200 Currency on the Brig Dalton Eleazer Johnson Junr Master, Valued at 1600 £ Currency, & £2000 on her Cargoe, & Valued at £3,000 Currency; at & from Point Petre in Guardaloop, to Newbury Port, with Liberty to put ー into any Harbour, on the Continent for Safety, ー I mean to have her insured against all Risque whatever, ー If the Master can obtain Cannon & Ammunition in the West Indies, I expect he will make her of considerable Force, sufficient at Least to defend himself from any Tender, but this I cannot warrant. he writes me he shall not sail untill the last of this Month or begginning of October, by the Time he may be on the Coast the Men of War, will be cautious of keeping at Sea ー

I refer you to Capt Rogers who is at your Place & probably Mr Tracey & many others, will be there, who know what I have said of the Brig, to be true, therefore hope you will obtain the Insurance on reasonable Terms, in doing which you will greatly oblige Your Esteem'd Friend