of the Council of Safety, 1776. 457

favor of the American States. Now our Flag flys current
every day in the road. The Merchants here are always com-
plaining of Government untill they would give as much Pro-
tection and Indulgence here to us as the French and Spaniards
do. The orders from the States and Great West India Com-
pany to this Governour for the Prohibition of the Export of
Powder and other warlike Stores expires the 28^th Instant. Its
made publick and the Governour is daily expressing the
greatest desire and Intention to protect a trade with us here.
Indeed they begin to discover their Mistake and are now very
Jealous of the French's running away with all their trade. All
kinds of goods and warlike Stores are very Plenty here and
much more Reasonable than they are at the French Islands
and all your goods purchased here, and at a very great
expense and Risque too, they are up to Martinique to be
Reshipped to Maryland in your vessells as they all arrive
here. Your Flower, Bread and Tobacco is all sent down here
to be sold as this is allways the best Markett for your produce
especially Tobacco which this is the only markett for. All
these goods are burthened with a very heavy freight from
Martinique here and never fail to suffer great abuses in the
way. Hhds. broken all to peices and the Tobacco hove loose
ashore &c &^c indeed its lessened in value 50 p^r Cent. All this
I have often mentioned in sundry of my last letters to your
Honourable House. I have enclosed all my own private
accounts by three different vessells. I hope you have received
some of them and Flatter myself they will be approved of as I
must assure you I never omitted doing any thing that has ever
been in my Power that cou'd serve my country.
Sirs. On M^r Crockett's arrival here, I intended to have
returned home and left him to settle my affairs here, but my
circumstances are such that our Creditors would not consent
to my leaveing this place untill our debts are discharged. I
shall endeavour to content myself untill it may suit you to
enable us to Wind up what we have done for our State here,
and will render every service in my Power during my stay ;
tho' I must inform you that I dislike my Station, and would be
happy if it was to be in my power to leave it very soon. I
have endeavoured allways to Encourage all the Trade and
Speculations that was possible to any part of the Continent
and particularly to our State as perhaps you may have
observed, and I have engaged into some concerns very
largely, in order to enduce others to speculate to our State,
Viz. in particular in two Ships ordered to be purchased in
Baltimore and load out from there. One of them I engaged
to be a fifth and the other a Fourth concerned, this was purely
to serve my country, and my engagements otherwise will

C.S.C.