[Extract]

The Wines are Safely landed in good Order  The Quality of No 3 I am Sencable is very Indifferent & doubt not in the Least it will prove Vinegar in the Course of a Hott Summer tho I shall do the Utmost to save & dispose of it at any Rate, As to the others there is a Judgeing being so thick, I have taken your Advice to fine. down 3 Pipes ー Information Relative to a Plantation I shall write you fully per J Hunt in the mean time Inform you Mr. Tennants Purchase of [torn].

The Determinations of Congress have Effectually Blasted my Prospects for the Insuing Year, And I am very Apprehensive the first time our Assembly meets they will Stop the Importation of Slaves for a certain time, Their Number being so great As to Caution every prudent Man not to Increase it by Purchase, If so I must lay out my Interest in the Planting way, or take up my Bead & Return home, For this Country will not do to live in for a fair Subsistance wh I am Apprehensive will be the Case the Insuing Year . . .

The things P Hows are not Landed, You Mention that Carrages might be made wt you for a Less Price than I Limitted Mr Williams, pray what would there Price be, As the Carolinians Imported their Carrages before from England, Now being prevented may do to have them from you.

I have drawn on Mr John Seabring in favor of Chs McEversham At 30 Dais Sight for £420 .. 1 .. 4 York [currency] As also in favor Thos Bayeaux £41.12 York is sum amot to £461.13.4 & the Ballance wh I do Suppose will be near as much more to pay you wh please to call on him forー

Messrs. Grant &. Fine Addressed their Brig Friendship, John Lewis Master to me to Load with Tar & Turpentine if not to be had to let him out, But Lewis being determined Not to go to Europe unless first to New York, I have come to the following Agreement ー [torn] Merchant would take him up wth Liberty to Touch at New York To Load his Brig wth Rice to pay 50/ Steg p Ton to Portugail, Spain or the Island of Maderia & 55/ if She is discharge as high up the Streights as Marseilles wth Liberty to touch at York & Gibraltar for Information of Markets, Mr. Hamilton to go the Voyage wth the Cargo addressed to him ⅓ of wh a Mr Dorsius is Concerned in & the other ⅔ I ship on my own accot tho I shall make Messrs. Grant & Fine an Offer of my ⅓ wth Customary charges, Vessels Cargo being compleated untill they shall pay you the Arnot wh I must Insist upon before she leaves New York This Offer I have made them in Consequence of the freight Back as it will be Hazardus & an offer to purchase ⅔ of the Brig for £410 New York of his Safe Arrive! at New York by wh means the Vessell & Cargo would belong to Grant & Fine ⅓ John Dorsius ⅓ the other to myself  But should Grant & Fine Not Approve of this Offer in the Sale of this Vessel We Propose to give them a fraght of the Nt Proceeds of the Homeward Cargo as may be thought Reasonable by two Gentlemen for that Purpose, Should this Proposal still not please them, Then the Vessell & Cargo to Proceed Agreable to Bill Lading & Mr Dorsius & self order our Respective parts of the Proceeds of our Cargo in our friends hands, Further Agreed wth Capt Lewis to Victual & Water his Vessel for the whole Voyage Should the Weather on your Coast prove Boystrous then he may proceed to Gibraltar, In that case you must Indeavour to git my Bond Canceld wh you, In other Respects he can properly protest As it is his fix determination to Proceed to New York ー Should Grant & Fine Agree to the first Proposal to Sel[torn] the Limited Price it will be charging proper [torn] on Eith side be paid to the party falling short Should they not incline to sell the Brig & take up wth our Offer leaving the Homeward bound freight to be ascertained by Refference and this take ⅓ of the Cargo, yould have the Same to Receive as Directed before Should Lewis not make his Appearance in New York Being Blown of[f] I shall direct Mr Hamilton to Remit my ⅔ of the Cargo in good Bills to Lane Sons [torn] Tho I should give the Preference to his Arriving at New York to have the Approbation of the Owners, As the Capt Can take upon him the Voyage back as it is Illisitt, Consequently We shal be disapointed in the Prospects of the Goods we Intend to order[torn] wch are as follows, a kind of Wollin Cloth made use of by our Negroes to be had in Marseilles or they must perish. If not procurd wch will be the Case Except the Actts are Repealed, in that case Mr Hamilton will have Information at Gibraltar Many Planters would contract wth me, for thousand of yards & have declared they will Assist in the Landing of it, Ollives, Anchovies, Reasons Capers, Brandy, Fancy Silks, Umbrellows & many Articles that Hamilton knows will Answer. This Voyage must be [illegible]

By Capt Hunt I shall be able to Ascertain the Amot [torn] I have put on board of him 143 Casks prime Rice & shall complete his Cargo wth such as I have the whole Month pr Agreement to Compleat his Lading.

This morning Arrived a Brigt from Spain Address to me to be Loaded wth Rice Guaranteed to me to a Safe House whos Cargo I have to compleat in a few days Plase to send the Inclosed Letter to Henry Rilay Shoe Maker I shall either Pass my Summer in Europe or traveling the Continent Soliciting Business. Must depend on what Congress determin next Meeting