I Received a Letter from you by Capt [Wyatt] St Barbe, acquainting me that you was Ready to sail with Both Vessells for Dominica which I am somewhat sorry for, as I fear you will meet with some dificuilty at Domin[ica] or in your sending your Sloop Back, I at Present think it Prudent if you can Confide in Mr Collins to Order him to sell the Vessell & Cargo & to Keep it in his hands for my or your Order hereafter & I would have you write him unless you have given any other Orders & have not time to alter it, if I have any oppertunity I shall write him to that affect but it is uncertain

You write me you are surprized that I have not wrote you, but you must be a judge of the Risque, I once wrote you my mind very fully by Capt [Nathaniel] Nowell of Newbury & sent Abel Tree on Purpose to take care of it, but he got into Boston, in that Letter I wrote you the danger of comeing home again till Spring, Takeing all affairs into Consideration I must conclude it not safe or Prudent for me or you to Venture such an interest on this Co[a]st, so late as you must Provided you thought of comeing but in your Letter you think as I do about it, if this Letter should meet you at the Mole y_ou may ship me by any Vessels bound to Cape Ann, Newbury, Ipswich, or near to it, some Cotton Cocoa, Sugar, Molasses, Duck, Cordage, Powder, or any other Article you think will answer; as I make no doubt but any goods will make at least 100 pc & for y[our] government I have set the Prices here & no doubt they will be much higher if times holds as they do at Present, but do not send any Indico as it is Contrary to the [Continental] association, but any fren[ch] Goods you have a Rite to bring, I do not mean at this time to Rite any Posetive Orders as affairs may alter in the Spring, but at Present it appears to me to be best to sell both Vessells & Cargo (tho it is much against my will to sell the Vessells) and to Settle all your affairs that is left unsettled, & either Tarry yourself in Jamaica or leave the whole stock in the hands of Messr Dolbears in Cash for my or your Order ー If you had Rather I have no objection to your comeing home & leaveing the Interest as above, but I think the times cannot last long [as] they now are & belive you had better tarry some time at least, the N[ort]h side as it is more Healthy then at Kingston, & you need not be under any conceirn about your Familys wanting for any thing, there is many diffieculties in carrying on business at this time & should be sorry to hear of your going back to Halifax, or of your doing any thing however small Conterary to the Assosiation of the Continent, Another Reason is & you may depend on it that if the Present dispute should Contineu the next summer that there will be not less then one hundred sail of Privaters out from the Continant ー & I suppose the Interest of yours as Jamaica or Halifax Property, must share the fate of others if taken, but may the Almighty dispose of all things [and] Order the Councill of the wicked administration to come to nought, if you have any oppertu[nit]y write me by way of Philadelphia, under Cover to Messr Cabot & Goodhue Merchants there & write me as often as you can & keep all your affairs settled as Clear as you can so that if any accident should happen to you I might know how to settle the Voyage.

Coppy by Cape Ann

from yr Friend

Worsted stockings & Middleing Linen is at Present worth at least 150 pct more than formerly, but they must be bought at the Mole as the Committees & one & all are very wachfull in all affairs of that kind, some few Boxes of Pins as those that used to be sold at 5/. the Paper is now sold at 30/. the Paper & good writeing Paper is likewise much wanted