| Description | Letter to James Gordon of Letterfourie, London, from Daniel Henry Smith, Madeira, regarding correspondence, devious activities of merchant called Spencer, issue with leakage: ‘our care is never wanting when we ship wines, but there are so many hidden wormholes in American Staves, that it is impossible with the greatest precaution to prevent damage’, the matter of the damaged rice is being settled, orders from Boston are to be sent to Marblehead, hopes of American situation improving, sorry that their commissions were not more clearly explained, keen to be out of a partnership with Mr McKenzie, who has promised to sell their shared boat, recommendation of Montgomery, a man with no ambitious schemes, anticipating arrival of India ships, good supplies of wine, arrival of wheat and flour from America but prices likely to be bad, herring selling well as cod is scarce, time to order flax from the Baltic, asking for wheat and rye from Danzig to avoid American high prices, trade in the island is bad, the Portuguese have control over imports and everything is in excess, hot weather, asking for table cloths, 5 October 1774 |