I refer you to my letter this date to self and Mr. Samuel Fowler and Son handing Sales of the Flaxseed consigned me per the Ship Hope Captain Gyles for your one half Neat proceeds being £1611.6. 11⁄2 you have Credit in the inclosed Account Current which is Ballanced by my remittance to Messrs. Protheroe and Claxton of Bristol, on examining whereof I hope it will be found free from Error and entered accordingly in your Books. Your bill to Captain Pierce was duly honored. I shall have no Objection to honor your bills for three or four hundred pounds Sterling at 40 days sight, on giving me orders to make insurance on the Flaxseed you intended to ship here. We have an insurance Company with a Capital of above One hundred and twenty thousand pounds Sterling who has manner of insurance on the like terms of the Royal Exchange insurance Co. in London and have made it for several Houses in America this spring and winter at 3 to 3 per Ct. on American Ships without passes. It is usual to charge 1/2 per Ct. Common on effecting the insurances, as in London and Policies cost only 5/6d Irish in the Winter I really think there is very little risk of the Algerines, but its said there are many Renegadoes now in their Vessels of all Countries, so that for the small additional premium, its more adviseable to be covered against those Pirates. when there is Bills drawn on Europe for Property consigned it's usual to accompany them with Bills of ladeing that in case of loss the Acceptor may be enabled to recover the loss. in my joint letter you'l find a price current. the article of Bark if attended to will be a considerable object, having lately sold America Bark at £5 and it now would fetch £5.10 /or £6, so much is it liked, but it must be well dried and the outer rhind paired off. the consumption of Potashes is considerable in this place, but of Pearl ashes not near so much. I have a very large Parcel of white Pearls on hand, and little demanded. I am with the Greatest Respect and Esteem, Sir, Your most humble Servant EDWARD FORBES EDWARD FORBES TO CHRISTOPHER CHAMPLIN AND Gentlemen, Dublin, 20th August, 1786. I BEG leave to refer you to my last respects of the 19th April. Since none of your esteemed favors. Having got Sales from the Country of some Flaxseed sent there to sell, annexed you have Sales of that consigned me per the Hope Captain Gyles. Neat proceeds £3222.12.3 the half of which being £1611.6.1 is placed at the Credit of your respective accounts. youl see these Sales are reduced by the Robbery of an unfortunate man who had bought 25 of them. The Statute has been taken out against him, but I do not think he will pay a Shilling in the pound whatever is received your respective Accounts shall receive Credit for the same. by accounts from the Country there is a most plentiful crop of all sorts of Grain, as well as of Flax and the Growers of it I am informed has not been able to save any of the seed, so that I make no doubt this article will turn out well the ensuing spring. referring you to the inclosed price current, I remain most Respectfully, Gent, Your most humble Servant, EDWARD FORBES CERTIFICATE I DO hereby certify to all whom it may Concern that the Gross Amount of the Ship Hydra's Cargo, from London in the Kingdom of Great Britain to Bengal and shipt by William Robertson Esqr. of the said City, on the apparent account of Christopher Champlin Esqr. of Newport in the State of Rhode Island in North America, under a Consignment to Mr. William Green as Super Cargo, is Twenty one Thousand, Two hundred and Eighty six Pounds one shilling and seven pence half penny Sterling Money of Great Britain. Witness my hand in the State aforesaid this 23d day of August 1786. WILLIAM GREEN 1 1 From an account of disbursements on account of the Hydra, June-August, 1786, some interesting items may be drawn. Import duties on the cargo were paid at SAILING ORDERS HAVING chartered the Brigantine Betsey whereof you are present Master at the Island of St. Eustatius to proceed in case I should think it fitting to this Port and from hence to any Port or Ports in Europe, if I should deem it inexpedient to discharge her here, and whereas I have determined that she should proceed on with the Cargo she has now on board to Ostend in Flanders, you are therefore with the first fair Wind to proceed with the said Brigantine from this Port to that at Ostend aforesaid. But having resolved for the better Security of the Cargo, and for the discharge thereof to its due Consignment, to put on board Mr. William Greene at this place as Super-Cargo, you are to take care in all things so long as the said William Greene shall remain on board in that Quality to obey him in all things, but more particular upon your arrival at the said Port of Ostend, and untill your final delivery of the Cargo. Upon your Arrival in the Downs you will please to write your Owner Mr William Robertson of London to acquaint him thereof, and take a Pilot on board to take charge of the Brigantine untill she shall safely be moored at her destined Port, where you are to wait on the house of Messrs. William Herries, George Keith and Co., where Mr. William Robertson will lodge directions for your farther proceedings. CHRIS. CHAMPLIN Newport, Rhode Island, 23rd of August, 1786. I acknowledge the foregoing to be a Copy of my Instructions receivd from Christopher [Champlin] Esquire. JOHN ADAMSON Newport to the amount of £330.17.7, but the nature of the cargo was not stated. In addition duties of £11.18 were paid on pepper, arrack and shrub, valued at £474; and on salt petre of £187.10.0, which was reexported. Payment was made in the paper medium of the state, which then bore a discount of three for one. Fifteen “China seamen" were paid wages at the rate of 25/ sterling a month, and the boatswain received wages of £4 sterling a month. EDWARD FORBES TO CHRISTOPHER CHAMPLIN AND Dublin, 2 September, 1786. Gent, ABOVE YOU have copy of what I had the Pleasure to write you the 20th ulto. it is with much Satisfaction I have now the pleasure to inform you that I have received advice from several Parts of the Kingdom and from my country friends that your flaxseed grew exceedingly well and in many Parts better than the Dutch and in general full as well so that I have no doubt of the American Seed being in as great demand here next Spring as ever it was known and I hope it will command as good a price as the Dutch which since the Peace sold on an Average from 20 to 30/ per hhd higher. I am, Gent. Your most humble Servant [Endorsed] Per Happy Return, via Providence. · EDWARD FORBES JOSEPH RUSSELL, JUNIOR, TO CHRISTOPHER CHAMPLIN Boston, September 17th, 1786. Sir, I RECEIVED Your Favour of the 11th Instant, am happy to hear your Goods came to hand in good order the several Letters which you inclosed I will forward per first opportunity. I have seen Captain Smith he tells me Captain Peirce had not arived at St. Petersburg, but had passed Elsenore before he came down,' therefore you have no Letters. your Arrack I think will not sell here, the Pepper will fetch 1/10 per li. by the Quantity. the Impost is only 2 per Cent. this Price can be obtained redely for the Quantity you mention. do you mean Perce should come to this Town with his hemp and Duck? the Cash might be had for the Hemp and Duck, if I knew that she would come I would prevent several of 1 A letter from Russell, dated October 2 states: "Captain Hodge tells us he [Peirce] was to sail in a day or two for Copenhagen, where he intended waiting for the India sales." the Rope makers from purchasing elsewhare. Please to give me a Line and let me know if you shall want any seed at 6/ per Bushell. I am with due regard your assured Friend and Very Humble Servant SMU JOSEPH RUSSELL, JUN. HIPPED, in good Order and well-conditioned, by MURRAY, To Jay, Being marked and numbered as per Margin, and are to be delivered in the like good order and well-conditioned at the aforefaid Port in (the Danger of the Seas only excepted) unto her Champlining or to Affigns, he or they paying Freight for faid Goods As Customary with Primage and Average accufomed. In Witnefs whereof the faid Dated in New York 15 Sep 1706—and in the Year of our INDEPENDENCE the Eleventh Sir: Cobert Lawton DE BAUQUE BROTHERS TO CHRISTOPHER CHAMPLIN Dunkirk, 5 October, 1786. FROM a confidence in the recommandation of our particular friend Mr. Francis Rotch we take the liberty to apprise you of our intention to send our large ship called |