[Extract]

. . . I have been waiting with Impatience for the papers concerning the Cargoe of the schooner friendship which Mr Vanbebber had sold in Curacoa, as well as a state of some other Matters at Statia that it is absolutely necessary to transfer into your Accot here before it can be rendered in regular form — These I have not been able to procure an Accot of the dis­agreeable & perplex'd situation of Mr Vanbebber, who you doubtless know was confined in the Fort at Statia for three or four Weeks, during which time he had sufficient Employment to think of and provide for his personal Safety, which he at last effected on the Night of the 7th or 8th ulto by evading the Vigelance of his keepers & flying to St Croix, from whence he embarked a few days after and is I hope now safely landed in America­ Ever since he has been gone I have been settling our Accounts, & with the assistance of Mr James Smith with whom he left his Books & papers, & who I expect up here in a few days, I hope soon to have them all finally adjusted; that is to say closed and the Ballances transferred into my own private Books — when they are to be paid, must depend on you. . . .

Inclosed is Accot sales of the Mollys last Cargoe, Nte Proceeds at your Credit £ 1244 . 9 . 9 — Also Accot Sales of the Friendships last Cargoe Nte Proceeds £770 .10 .10½. — You will find the Charges on the latter very high, the principal of which is for transvoiding the Flour into french Casks — This however I found to be absolutely necessary not only to freshen the Flour but to procure a sale for it — for being obliged to export it. I could prevail upon no body to purchase that would run the Risk of carrying it off in the American Barrells — Upon the whole I think you considerable gainers by it, as it has turned to much better Accot low as the sales are, than I some time ago expected.

We have now here a 64 Gun Ship & 5 frigates lately arrived from France, & several others are shortly expected — This naval armament seems to an­nounce some hostile Intention on the part of the French; and indeed it appears to me almost impossible that they can remain idle Spectators much longer — Next Spring I think at farthest they will begin to unfold their designs if not sooner, especially if our Affairs should take an unfavourable turn in America But whatever may be their Views their Ships will be of great use to us here, as they will at least serve to protect our trading Vessells from the British Cruizers which are very numerous in these Seas & injure our Commerce much, particularly among the Leeward Islands.

Mr Vanbebbers Connection with me ceased when he left Statia all the debts we owed are of course thrown upon me here; it is to this place then that you will be pleased to order the Vessells that are to relieve me, not only on that Accot, but as a place also that [they] may come to with the least Risk — Hoping soon to see some of them arrive, I am with the truest respect and Attachment [&c.]

Tobacco 70 a 80/ — PCt
Flour sound & Fresh 66/ . p barrl
Corn 6/ a 7/6 p bushl
Hhd Staves £13 .4/ . p M.