[Baltimore] 19h March 1775
We had the pleasure of writing you under the 1st Inst since then have not had the pleasure of hearing from you. we have now in our possession Yr Sundry favours to our G. Salmon which shall be Carefully attended to, and yr Interist we shall consult as if our own. we can now Inform you that tickell arrived here the 10th Inst his Salt in good order no doubt ere this you are Satisfyed it Cannot be landed here. which Circumstance has distressd us on yr Acct We have got permission to Ship it (to any place that is not within the General association, & have procured the Schooner Betsy Isaac Snow Mastr to go to Hallifax in Novascotia with a load. he has now on board 3660 bushels & will Sail in two days we are to give him five pence half penny Sterl p bushel freight, & shall consign it to one Mr Thos. Cochran we learn is a Man of good Character. we wrote the 11th Inst to Mr [Thomas] Greg about the Schooner, but Could not then give him the Quantity she had in. the Remndr of the Salt we are putting in a Vessel for Florada but are not sure whether we will Ship It for Yr Acct or sell it, but shall Endeavour to sell it if take Less than first Cost for it as we think it will be better for you. We hope our mode of proceeding in this Unfortunate Affair will meet your Approbation, & be assured we had no other method of proceeding with Safety to yr property as we had an Instance of a Man in this town being obliged to throw over part his Salt into the Water on Acct of his Endeavouring to land some of his Cargo, & we think if what he has Saved & sent to other places can be found that it will be destroyed also we shall Endeavour to get Tickell Loaded in two Weeks, but in three we make no doubt of his Sailing. We Cannot yet tell how much he will Carry, but he thinks about 7000 bushels we have about 2500 bushels Ready for him which has Cost 6/6 but as he did not Appear as soon as was Expected, & prices getting lower we Stopped buying untill he arrived and we hoap to get the Remainder at Six Shillings (which is now the price) if people are not foolish in Raising it. however be assured we shall do our best. flour 15/ PCt but shall be obliged to give 16/ for the Half barrells. Ex. hardly 57½ for 30 day bills & Expected lower 60 day bills will not fetch more than 55 p we wish you could for your own sake allow us to draw at thirty days, when we find it difficult to Sell those of a longer Sight. we wish if possible [to] Avoid Drawing on you till the bills of Loading are Signd but if we should be under the Necessity of doing so, we hope it will meet Yr Approbation you will no doubt see that you Cannot Expect the Salt brought to yr Credit under the present Circumstances, but if we had got liberty to sell it here we should have sold it for Cash, tho it would not have left much proffet, as there is now great Quantitys on Hands in this place we have not as yet been able to get a Vessell for Yr other Cargo of wheat & Flour.