| Description | Transcription of letter to Messrs. Rucker & Sons from George Charles Hawkins, Tobago, reporting on his visit to the island and the three estates of Bacolet, Trois Rivieres, and Speyside, and on the fitness of G.H. Richardson to act as attorney; rumours put about by Lord William Douglas making his job more difficult; Bacolet one of the most valuable estates in the island; Richardson is not making the most of it; Trois Rivieres needs few repairs; want of labour is the ruin of this property, too; Speyside has a good superintendent who could be promoted to manage both this and Trois Rivieres; it was severely damaged in the hurricane; the emancipated slaves all want to work in the leeward end of the island, near the capital; poor condition of manager's accommodation; suggestions to sort out Speyside's stills; expectation of a vessel from West Africa with new free workers; with good labour the Gordon properties will no doubt prove very profitable; illness of Robert Gordon; recommending him for the position of attorney; postponing judgements on others until he has become better acquainted, ('extracted from Day File' which was not deposited), 22 October 1850 |