P. S. 18th. Flaxseed has been sold today at 44/ the Arrival this Boston Vessell has made a great alarm on account of her coming from Derry.

April 23d. My Advices from Newry yesterday F: seed was at 38/ to 40/, same at Cork, in short every place glutted and two Coasters have come in here from Derry and Newry which has reduced the price at 42/6 and it will be lower. Shocking work.

Sir,

CHRISTOPHER AND GEORGE CHAMPLIN TO
ANTHONY F. THIRINGK 1

Newport, Rhode Island, April 22nd, 1788.

HAVING been favour'd with your letters of October 29th and November 30th last conveying to us sundry useful informations respecting Russian Exports and Imports for which we are much oblidged and shall take occasion to write you more particular upon those heads. We wrote your late house of Smith and Co., December 28th under Cover to Nicholas Ryberg Esqr. of Copenhagen, requesting they wou'd procure a quantity of clean Hemp on our Account against the Arrival of our Brigantine. We therefore have the pleasure of confirming said letter to you as the remaining Branch of said house by our Brigantine Elizabeth Captain Benjamin Peirce who will wait upon you with a letter of Credit from Mr. Nicholas Ryberg to furnish him for our Account with Forty Tons clean Hemp, Three hundred Pieces of Russia duck and Forty eight Pieces of Ravens Duck all good in kind and such as Capt. Peirce shall approve of as suitable to our Market. At Writing 28th December we had no Idea of Hemp rising to the extravagant price you noticed but are happy to find by your letter to Capt'n Peirce of December, it has fell and we flatter our selves it may still be lower at the hour you purchase ours as all the speculation had ceas'd oweing to the expected Warr. We 1 The original is in the Newport Historical Society.

place the utmost confidence you will purchase the goods we require on the lowest terms possible and give Capt'n Pierce the utmost dispatch, handing us the State of your Markets and your opinion what they may be another year to come, and which is the best method for us to proceed in fixing a Credit that you may buy in for us Forty Tons of hemp next Winter at the lowest price in like manner as the London Merchants do. With Sentiments of Respect, We are, Sir, Your most humble Servants

CHRIS: CHAMPLIN

GEO: CHAMPLIN

BENJAMIN PEIRCE TO CHRISTOPHER AND

GEORGE CHAMPLIN

Copenhagen, June 2d, 1788.

Gentlemen,

ARRIVED here the last day of May having a passage of 36 days of very disagreeable weather. the Brigantine is certainly a good vessel or she never cou'd supported the sail I carried without complaint. the old sails brought me here and expect they will carry me half the way home. have expended 11⁄2 bbls. meat and 3 Cwt. Bread. the running rigging fail'd more than expected which am affraid will oblige me to buy some. I found Mr. Ryberg in as good credit as any man in Europe as a Merchant and have accordingly deliver'd the letters and shall the Cargo in 3 days. I find Tea at 30s Danish per lb. the Chinaman mention'd by Mr. Ryberg arrived two days before me but the Sales of her Cargo is not announced and it is generally thought it will be in September. they expect two more this season. there is no tea at Gottenburg, but they expect two ships. Rum is from 32 Rxd. to 33 for the Hhd of 63 Gal. Rice 7 Rxd. per Cwt. Tobacco 10s to 12 Danish if the Quality be good. Hemp at St. Petersburg 22 Rubles per Burkovitz, but they were in expectation of its falling in consequence Mr. Ryberg has advised Mr. Thiringk not to purchase 'till I arrive in

Russia for which place I expect to sail in ten days. The Swedes have twelve ships of the line and six frigates ready for Sea the expence of which is paid by the Porte. The Danes are also equiping a fleet of the same force. I shall write you again before I leave this. there has no vessel arrived from St. Croix this Season. Please to inform Mrs. Peirce. I am, Gentlemen, your obedient Servant,

Exchange with London Rxd. 6.228 per £ Sterling.

BEN PEIRCE

NICHOLAS RYBERG TO CHRISTOPHER AND

GEORGE CHAMPLIN

Copenhagen, the 3 June, 1788.

Gentlemen:

I BEG your Referance to my respects of the 25th March via London and had yesterday the pleasure to receive your Favour of the 22d April, by Capt. B. Peirce who arrived safe.

I am much obliged to you for your kindness in addressing him to me, and assure you of my greatest Care for your Interest in disposing of his Cargoe, Bills and Cash; he has begun to unload to day. About the end of this week he will be ready for going to Petersburg when I shall furnish him with the needfull letters, if Messrs. Smith and Co. in consequence of your request have purchased the ordered Goods will be difficult to transfer the order on Mr. Thiringk, therefore shall furnish Capt. Peirce with such papers as either case may require. Hemp by the last accounts was still Ro. 221. I realy wish it may be declined against his arrival. Agreable to your order I shall on his return from Russia supply him with Bohea one box Hyson and I ditto Souchong for the remainder of the effects, and a Chinese cargoe being already arrived and two yet expected I hope the Sales will come on before his return and that the Purchase may be made at a moderate price. When the Sales are held of his Cargoe shall have the honor to inform you of the obtained Prices.

A great Armament is made at Sweden in favour of the Turks and said to hinder the Russien fleet passing the Sound

on the way to the mediteranean, but as this is expected by the Russiens, accounts from Stockholm and Gottenburg say it looks very warlike, and that there prevails a Rapport, that hostilities will be or are declared by the Russiens against the Swedes if a disarmament be not directly agreed to by the latter. My next shall acquaint you of the result, and [in] Denmark we hope to enjoy Peace. I recommend meself to your favour and am with great Regard, Gentlemen, Your most obedient humble Servant,

Hamburg Bo. 431

Amsterdam Cy. 34

London per £6 rxd 22

N. RYBERG

Sirs,

F. BAUDIN TO ETHAN CLARKE AND COMPANY

St. Martin's Isle of Rhé, 6 June, 1788.

DEPRIVED of your favours since mine of 2 9bre inclosing Invoice of Salt and Brandy per Captain Gardiner this serves to repeat my offers of best Services and to inform you that our wine crop has a beautiful prospect. the actual Currency of Brandy is L. 115 per 27 Velts. it was L. 135, 3 weeks ago and it is expected to be under L. 90 in the fall and perhaps L.70, so that you can't have a better opportunity to be cheaply supply'd with that Commodity than this year.

Our Salt Season has begun pretty favourable and if we have two months of fair weather without interruption that Comodity now at L. 370 per 28 Moys may come down to L. 300 or L. 320.

A Velt of Brandy is much about 2 English Gallons and a Moy of Salt nigh equal to one English Tun.

If you send Capt. Gardiner or any other vessal this way you might load 'em with assorted Oak and Firr Timber, Staves, 2 inch Planck, 11⁄2 inch Pine boards, floor Timbers and others for small 40 to 50 Tuns Vessalls, a parcell of Pitch and Tar and other such Lumber, these articles will fetch a good price here and the returns will be made in Salt and

Brandy. I shall be happy in yours or your friends Commands due attention to which will be payed by, Sirs,

Your very
very humble. K
obed. Servant?

Bandeniz

Gentlemen,

Copenhagen, June 11th, 1788.

I HAD the pleasure of addressing you the 3d instant over London as above, since which nothing material has turn'd up. the cargo come out in exceeding good order and think the prospect of the market is more favorable than when I wrote and will continue to mend 'till the sales (if no vesel arrives with the like goods) which is the 25 of this month. it cou'd not be sooner and allow time for the Merchants to write their correspondents in the trading towns to get orders to purchase as no Dane seems to be willing to speculate.

The sales of the Tea Ships cargo is not yet advertised for sale nor no other ship arrived but daily expected, and there is a scarcity of that article at present to be bought here. 'Tis the opinion of my friends here the Tea will go much lower at the auction than 30 Danish which has induced me to omit purchaseing 'till my return from Russia for which place I am now ready to sail. Russia goods continues the same. I shall give every dispatch in my power and expect on my arrival at Cronstadt to have an opportunity to write you by some of the American Vessels there being several there. the warlike preparations continue the same. the