Mr. N. Cruger's proportion of this, and the balance of your account hitherto, will more than pay for his one-third cost of her first cargo up; and for the other two, I shall endeavor to place value in your hands betimes. I only wish for a line from you to know what will best answer.

Reports here represent matters in a very disagreeable light, with regard to the Guarda Costas, which are said to swarm upon the coast; but as you will be the best judge of what danger there might be, all is submitted to your prudent direction.

Capt. Newton must arm with you, as he could not so conveniently do it here.

Give me leave to hint to you, that you cannot be too particular in your instructions to him. I think he seems to want experience in such voyages.

Messrs. Walton and John H. Cruger are to furnish you themselves with their respective proportion of the cost of the several cargoes.

The staves on board, if by any means convenient, I beg may be returned by the sloop, they will command a good price here, and I suppose little or nothing with you; could they be got at I would not send them down, but they are stowed promiscuously among other things.

If convenient, please to deliver the hogsheads, now containing the Indian meal, to the Captain as watercasks, and others should he want them. I sup

plied him with twenty here. I must beg your reference to Mr. Cruger's last letter of the 2d ult. for other particulars.

Our crop will be very early, so that the utmost despatch is necessary to import three cargoes of mules in due time.

TO CAPTAIN WILLIAM NEWTON.

ST. CROIX, Nov. 16, 1771.

Herewith I give you all your despatches, and desire you will proceed immediately to Curracoa. You are to deliver your cargo there to Tileman Cruger, Esq., agreeable to your bill of lading, whose directions you must follow in every respect concerning the disposal of your vessel after your arrival.

You know it is intended that you shall go from thence to the main for a load of mules, and I must beg if you do, you'll be very choice in the quality of your mules, and bring as many as your vessel can conveniently contain-by all means take in a large supply of provender. Remember, you are to make three trips this season, and unless you are very diligent you will be too late, as our crops will be early in. Take care to avoid the Guarda Costas. I place an entire reliance upon the prudence of your conduct.

TO HENRY CRUGER, ESQ.

ST. CROIX, Feb'y 24, 1772.

The 9th ult., Capt. Robert Gibbs handed me your favor dated December 19th, 1771, covering invoice and bill lading for sundries, which are landed in good order agreeable thereto. I sold all your lumber off immediately at £16, lucky enough, the price of that article being now reduced to £12, as great quantities have been lately imported from different parts of the continent. Indeed there must be a vast consumption this crop, which makes it probable the price will again rise, unless the crop at windward should fall short, as is said to be the case, whereby we shall fail to be overstocked. The oats and cheese I have also sold, the former at 61 cents per bushel, and the latter at 9 cents per lb. Your mahogany is of the very poorest kind, or I could have readily obtained 6d. per foot for it, but at present it is blown upon: 'tis fit only for end work.

I enclose you a price current, and refer you thereto for other matters.

Capt. Gibbs was ready to sail seven days after his arrival, but was detained two days longer by strong contrary winds, which made it impossible to get out of the harbor; believe me, sir, nothing was neglected on my part to give him the utmost despatch, and considering that his cargo was stowed

very confusedly, the proceeding part of it rather uppermost, I think he was despatched as soon as could be expected. Enclosed you have invoice of rum and sugar shipped in the sloop agreeable to your orders: I could not by any means get your casks filled by any of the planters, but shall dispose of the hogsheads, out of which the rum was started, for your account, from which, however, will proceed a small loss. Also, you have account of sloop's port charges, and which I hope, and doubt not, you will find right.

You'll be a little surprised when I tell you Capt. Gibbs was obliged to leave his freight money behind. The reason is this: Mr. B. would by no means raise his part; 'tis true he might have been compelled by law, but that would have been altogether imprudent, for to have enforced payment and to have converted that payment into joes, which were extremely scarce, would have been attended with detention of at least ten or twelve days, and the other freights were very trifling, so that the whole now rests with me, and God knows when I shall be able to receive Mr. B's. part, who is long winded enough. Mr. B. begs to present his respects.

"Within a short time after the adjournment of the first congress, among several publications, two tracts appeared more distinguished than the rest, which were the joint productions of Doctor Seabury and Mr. Wilkins; the latter of whom had recently occupied a prominent place in the deliberations of the NewYork Assembly. The first bore the title of "Free thoughts on the proceedings of the Continental Congress:" the other was entitled, "Congress Canvassed, by a Westchester Farmer."* These publications were chiefly directed against the "non-importation, non-consumption, and non-exportation agreements," which had been recommended by the congress.

"The wide, industrious, and gratuitous circulation of these pamphlets, inducing the belief that they had the sanction of the government, they soon became the text book of the Tories, and were applauded by them as containing irrefutable arguments against the measures of the "sons of liberty."

"Within a fortnight after the second tract had issued from the press,† a pamphlet appeared under the title of "A Full Vindication of the Measures of Congress from the Calumnies of their Enemies, in answer to a Letter under the signature of A W. Farmer; whereby his sophistry is exposed, his cavils confuted, his artifices detected, and his wit ridiculed, in a General Address to the Inhabitants of America, and a Particular Address to the Farmers of the Province of New-York. Veritas magna est et prævalebit. Truth is powerful, and will prevail. New-York: Printed by James Rivington: 1774.""-Life of Hamilton, by his Son: p. 26-28, vol. 1.

VOL. I.

* November 24, 1774. + December 15, 1774.

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