| Description | Letters to James Gordon of Letterfourie, London, from A. Gordon & Co., Madeira: copy letter regarding guessing and topping up a New York order, placating Dr Kyd, business in Barbados to be dealt with by Henry Duke, ways of writing discreetly about business, confusion over payments, order ready for Mr Brymer, shortages of wine have not caused problems, good new trade in ‘baccathao’, good local supply of staves, rumour that the Junta has the right to allow imports of made up casks, not just the components, looking forward to delivery of dry goods, news of new commercial treaty between Denmark and England, market for flour and wheat is poor, prices for wines, death of a young man called Joao Pedro Sauvayre, who killed himself because of debt, 16 November 1780; copy letter explaining no opportunity of writing since the copy was made, shipping news, bill for flour, not happy with new business practices, sorry that the citron arrived in poor condition, would like to have some wheat and flour, recommending Muilman & Sons in Amsterdam for financial transactions, hoping for details of the Quebec order soon, arrangements for sending wine to America and Barbados, hoping to get wines off to Jamaica, panic buying of wine on the island, prices and supply, needing more wheat and fish, means of importing flax, Miss Riddoch has ordered some things for the kitchen, asking for more baccathao to ease the cash situation, 24 January 1781; copy letter mentioning letters sent by ‘an old crazy vessel for Dublin that put to sea in rough weather, and foundered off Ponta de Pargo’, list of wine shipped and for whom, scarcity of wines but enough to cover orders, 16 February 1781; copy letter regarding movements of various letters, hoping to get wines on to a vessel for London along with the letters, shipping wine to various customers, news of hostilities with the Dutch, rumours of trouble in Barbados came too late for their shipment to Mr Odwin, rumours of major desertion in Washington’s army, still no confirmation of Quebec order, vessels from Dantzig in England are being quarantined for plague, wheat and rye from Hamburg would be good but not flour as they do not know how to pack it, asking for French brandy, list of bills, increasing difficulties of getting ships to take wine, glad to hear Antigua was not affected by the hurricane, 25 February 1781; letter signed by James Duff to cover copies, awaiting the Barrington and a Danish ship in hopes of letters, Manoel de St Iago would like a hat, ‘nothing outre or flashy, and his head rather of the largest’, 5 March 1781 |