When I went to Newry I had several of your F:seed Casks measured with those of Messrs. Casey Son and Green's and realy found theirs as large as yours, so that no surcharge of freight could be made against you, tho' let me tell you the long flat bulge Casks the Country People are not fond of buying immagining they do not contain the Quantity of 7 Bushels, and the Round bulge Casks they always preffer. the more they are made so the better, as the people here being more used to the New York and Philadelphia made Hhds which are all round or high bulged, they preffer them. reffering you to my next I remain, Gentlemen, Your most humble Servant,

EDWARD FORBES

Exchange on London 83 per Ct. and was lately up at 9 per Ct. [Endorsed,] via N. York. New York Aug. 10. 1785, received under Cover and forwarded by Gentlemen Y. M. H. S.

NICHOLAS Low.

CASPAR VOGHT AND CO. TO CHRISTOPHER CHAMPLIN AND CO.

Sirs,

Hamburg, the 3d June, 1785.

SINCE our above gone in triplicate by way of London, we sold your Spanish Dollars at 27 & 11/ banco per Mark fine silver, for which as per inclosed account sales your account is credited with B'co Mks. 5674.--.--.

We unloaded your 116 Hhds Tobacco whose quality unluckely disapointed our eager wishes to give you satisfactory Account sales of them. We hoped to see fine, heavy, sweet-scented Virginia, that would readily have sold 6 pence sterl. per li. and we found it to be most comon Tobacco, not cured at all, quite green and smelling like Grass. We showed it to Capt. Green, who can tell you that at the same time we showed him Tobacco that sells from 5 to 6d here, and proved to him yours to be inferior to any common Tobacco in town. So as it was no higher price then 32/. could possibly be obtained for this Cargo; we consulted Capt. Green, who advised us to sell, as the expected arival

of some other Cargo still would lessen the small prospect of a better market.

In consequence we concluded the Sale as per inclosed Account for which we credit you with B'co Mks. 16680.15.--.

Give us leave to tell you that we think you were very ill served by your Corespondents in Virginia, who certainly never should have admited such Tobacco to be charged for

your account.

We think it our duty to make you observe how unprofitable it is to send to this, or indeed to any other Port in Europe, comon sorts of tobacco, since the charges and expenses upon good and bad are nearly the same, and the difference in the proceeds so very material.

Your 116 Hhds. have neated ab't 11£ stg. per Hhd. if they had been of a tolerable good quality they would have sold at least 5/. and neated 17£ sterl. and you would have got in return for £800 Sterl. more Goods. Please to add to this reflection, that in Virginia the difference of the best and common quality is at most 10 shl. currency per hundred weight and makes no more then 2 or 3£ stg. per Hhd.

We wish therefore that if you find any inducement to continue your expeditions to our port, you might always chose the best quality possible, and then we make bold to assure you of an advantageous sale.

Rice from Charlestown is a very good article with us. it's present price here at 16M per Cwt. makes good 18 sh'l Sterl. The prime Cost at Charlestown now is II to 12s Sterl.

All kind of furrs are equaly a very valuable article, and sell readily according to quality from 10 to 30 per Ct. Profit; the only unsaleable article are Deerskins, which you must avoid sending.

Another material observation in regard to expeditions. to our port is that in order to meet a quick dispatch the Vessel must not draw more then 12 feet water; for in the contrary case, the unloading and loading part of the Cargo

30 Miles from hence makes aditional expences and ocasions great loss of time.

You must farther never venture a Ship hither when you cannot calculate its arival before the 15th October, for from medio November till the Month of March our River is froze up, and a Ship ariving later then at the mentioned 15th Octob. runs great risk to freeze in here, and lose 6 Months time at prodigeous Expences. This being the most important points relating to importation here, we now have to give you the necessary Explanations about our exportings Good.

Being desirous to make up by the quickness of dispatch, the bad price of your Tobacco, we used all our endeavours to get the Cargo ready, and we are happy to tell you that this moment all the Goods are on board of the Vessell, and that she may sail with the first easterly wind. You'll seethe particulars by the inclosed Invoice for the amount of of which your account is debited B'coM 21253.13.

The proceeds of the Tobacco falling so much short of your expectations and even of ours too, by its inferior quality, we have been obliged to make a proportional diminution on several articles of the returns, in doing which we hope to have met with your approbation.

We supressed ten Chests of Teas, because the price at 16d is 3d higher then you expected. The immense wants of the english East india Company, since the smugling trade has been so effectualy destroyed, are the cause of this rise; but it is thought that on the arival of their first large suplies, and the first returns of the french and Spanish E. I. Companys, which will be in 15 months hence, Tea will be as low as ever, and then possibly Tea bohea may be had again at a shilling Sterling.

Rushia duck is indeed very cheap at this moment, and we hope you'll be well satisfied with the parcel you receive.

We would not stick to the black mark, as there are but two sorts of this mark in town, one too cours and one too fine for your purpose. The best manufactures of all is Gotcharoffs and of the blue mark; the prices this moment

is 36 Mks., with all the rest this mark signifies nothing as there are of every color good and bad qualities.

We sent you only 20 Reels of Ropeyarn, not being quite sure if it is exactly the quality and the price you intended.

The Ravensduck and Tecklenburgs are of a regular price, we expect to hear from you, if the quality of the latter did answer, or if you want them of a coarser or finer sort equaly to be had. The hemp is not dear now, and there is a more comon quality called Outschott which is to be had at 45M. The Iron you will find assorted according to your order.

The Chalets and Creas are dear this year. You may expect a diminution of 10 per Ct. probably next year upon this article and every other kind of Silesia linnens.

With the Diaper and Tablecloths we wish to have encountered your taste; it will be easier the second time, when your observations upon the Invoice can point out more exactly to us the very thing you would wish to have.

Besides the Articles contained in our Invoice, all other kinds of Linnens, Calicoes, coarse Cloth, and our very cheap bohemia Glassware, may deserve your attention, and it may perhaps not be amiss to make a tryal with them the first time your ship comes here again.

The Port Charges of Capt. Greens Ship have been Mks 626.9. Current money, according to the inclosed Copy of the Brokers note.

Your Tobacco is sold at 3 Months time, and will hardly be paid before 4 or 5 months hence; all our purchases for you are ready money, we thus remain in some months disburse for about the Sum of B'co Mks. 17000, for which we charge you only I per Ct. Interest with B'co Mks. 170, and we doubt not but you'll find it reasonable.

All these Sums are brought in your account current inclosed the ballance of which you will find on foot of this not being able to state it before we know exactly how much Capt. Green will want.

There is now nothing more left, then to express to you Gentlemen our earnest wish, that we may have been happy

enough to give you Satisfaction, and so do honor to the recommendation of our mutual friend Mr. Söderström.

[Remainder of letter missing.]

We

CASPAR VOGHT AND CO. TO CHRISTOPHER CHAMPLIN [Hamburg] the 3d June, 1785.

CAPTAIN GREEN is now ready to sail, so you must own we have made all possible dispatch. It merely now depends upon on easterly wind that he may fall down our River, and then we wish him a prosperous voyage. The cargo we dare say you'll find quite to your liking and satisfactory, since we endeavoured to pick and chuse all of the best.

As to your own private Commission, we are sorry it has not been in our power to give you content; the blue and white China being entirely out of fashion here and no demand for it it has been impossible to compleat your order so as to match. therefore by Capt. Greens advice we left it unexecuted alltogether, and in lieu of it send you, for the amount of the 40 Crowns, 5 pieces of choice Chintz and Calicoes, in a Box markd C C of all which the Account inclosed.

You will also find in the same Box a parcel of Samples of this kind, of which you'll have the measures at foot; however its possible, that when you send us your orders for a particular pattern, not a piece of it may be left, but then it allways may be matched as near as practicable, and very likely more elegant, for we change our patterns here every six months, and great pains are taken allways to bring them to greater perfection.

We shall be very happy if this first tryal with Capt. Greens cargo encourages you to enlarge the business this way, and be an inducement to establish a lasting correspondence between us of consequence, and to our mutual advantage. We shall not fail at all times to use our utmost endeavours to contribute towards it as much as in our power, and make matters as easy as possible. A pitty it is your Tobacco did not prove of better quality, then if that had been the case,