458 Journal and Correspondence

C. S. C.

scarcely admit of my being concerned. This I inform you of
with an expectation that you would take the Risque, Profit or
Loss of my hands. The plans of the voyages are good and
we will attend to and see them well managed &c. M^r John
Crockett is to return and is the Bearer of this, he is well
acquainted with all matters here that you may wish to be
advised of and to him please to be refered. Should he at
any time want a sum of Money to execute any orders he may
receive, I hope you will not hesitate to let him have it as I
assure you Gentⁿ that he will not call upon you for it unless it
is to execute orders that he may receive from me or through
my Recommendation, &^c I shall in future send my letters
under cover to M^r Crockett who will imeadiately wait on
whom soever you may direct him to with them. Our M^r R. H.
is at Martinique and has lately dispatched several of your
vessells with very valuable Cargoes, &^c I am doing all I can
to send home Salt and have borrowed many large sums of
money in order to join with Merchants here to hold part of
their Vessells and Cargoes to induce them to send in Salt.
We never had any orders to join your Honourable House into
Partnership or perhaps we should have chose to Interest you
before ourselves. Indeed as the saying is we are makeing
one Nail drive another and shoeing the Horse, for when we
were able to pay of one Debt it give us a Credit for Twice as
much, which Credit we allways modestly made use off.
Cap^t Robertson of the Continental Brig Andrew Doria
arrived here three days agoe and Saluted the Fort with eleven
Guns the Salute was returned from the Fort with 18 Pounders
and the Cap^e most graciously received by his Honour the
Governour and all Ranks of People. Its esteemed here by
the first Gentlemen a favor and Honour to be Introduced to
Capt. Robertson. all American Vessells here now wear the
Congress Coulours. Tories sneak and shrink before the
Honest and Brave Americans here. Robertson and his
officers and Crew make so good an Appearance in every
Respect and such good order observed, that it gives the
greatest pleasure to the friends of our States and strikes the
Tories with terrour and confusion.
Gentlemen, We have the Honour to be
Respectfully
Your very Hum^ble Serv^ts
Van Bibber & Harrison.

St. Eustatia 19^th Nov. 1776.
Gentlemen.
I Have this day wrote you fully and only mean by this to
advise you that I have this day valued on you in fav^r of Capt.