| Description | Letter to James Gordon of Letterfourie, London, from Daniel Henry Smith, Madeira, regarding letters, customers and orders, sorry for trouble with Mr Bull who thinks that all business should go the way he wants it, rare chance of shipping for Antigua, difficulties shipping wine to Charleston, sorry that Captain Duff did not come with Cooper, various orders for wine, everybody complains of having few orders, wary of captains getting too enthusiastically involved in the trade and promising what they cannot do, ‘they act here like your Innkeepers at Dover &c who go aboard of all ships that bring passengers to offer their house and service’, only Searle has ventured to send wine to America, wondering how things will go in America, they have been able to write to friends there telling them what trade is like, and ordering wheat and flour, it will be a bad year and they are constricting themselves, Mr Murray, Lady Catherine and their daughter are at Madeira bound for New York, prices are going to fall but they have agreed with some customers to hold last year’s price, which is a shame as the wine is good, dispute with Loughnan over supplies, Donaldson is going to London and will bring the truss and some silk ribbon to be matched for a commission, mention of someone banished with his family to Machico on account of their free speaking, very glad to hear they have an able physician on his way, arrival of herring and flax, iron, wheat, flour, corn, biscuits and beeswax, list of bills, 7 April 1775; copy of letter from Colin Drummond & Co., Quebec, to Alexander Gordon & Co., Madeira, regarding high wheat prices, 22 December 1774, with copy reply also mentioning possibility of a joint concern in wine, 5 April 1775 |