[Extract]

Dear Sir  Since my last, I have received your several favors of the 6th & 30th June, and 2d July the last of which came by the Adventure, who arrived about three Weeks agoe ー I am very sorry you was so Ill at Fredk Town and that you suffer'd so much in getting home from thence, But this Cursed Scheme of business we are engaged in conducted upon the Plan it has, and attended with the difficulties which have Attended it, is enought to kill us all, and will in my Opinion do it yet, before we have done with it; for my own part I now find, I scarce knew what Trouble was, before the difficulties of my Situation in business here, made me Acquainted with it, and since that time I have known little else, to the destroying of my Health as well as the ruining of my peace and quiet, However it Availeth not to complain, and this I ought to know full well from experience, but at sometimes it is a hard matter to be silent ー . . .

This Letter I intend shall come by the Rachell Capt [James] Tibbett, a Vessel belonging to Maryland and the only Opportunity that I know of that we shall have for some time to come, for which reason I have sent by him the Sales of the Tobacco received p the Camden, the Baltimore Packet, the Generous Freends, and the Patty ー . . . With respect to Tobacco matters I have to tell you that I have Landed two Lighters from Onboard of the Adventure, but have not as yet sold a Single Hogshead, I have been Offerd 3 5/8. pt round for one of them, and could have that price whenever I please for both but I want and hope ー to get 3 3/4 for them in a few days more, but the Sale for Tobacco at present is exceeding dull much more so than ever I saw it at this time of the year before, and the Markets every where very full. As to Publick News there is nothing particular that I know of, and even if there was, a Proclamation has within these few days been Issued making it high Treason to hold any Correspondence with America on Publick Affairs . . .