| Description | Letter to James Gordon of Letterfourie, London, from Daniel Henry Smith, Madeira, regarding shipping and goods not received, speculation suggested in Riga or Danzig, affairs in America grow worse every day, supplies from there are doubtful, lottery tickets for himself and James Duff, Alexander and David Watt are no longer in business together and Alexander owes a good deal but is probably reliable, irritation over various financial dealings, ‘the Grenada connexions have been the worst for us’, wants payment from Major Gordon and the customers he has recommended, the new wines are pale and ‘have also no greenness about them’, quality of various wines and prospects of their improvement, stricter controls locally over purchase of wines, bad practice of Searle, Ahmuty, Nowland and others, matters in America will make things difficult for those used to shipping wines there, account of recent storm, visitors staying with them, death of their clerk from consumption, arrival of a few more ships while the letter was delayed, with list of bills remitted and wine shipped, 25 January 1775 |