| Description | Letter to James Gordon of Letterfourie, London, from James Duff, Madeira, regarding unreliable news from America, receipt of some London letters, Curson & Seaton had overdrawn but have sent spermaceti candles in compensation, glad they have mortgage on Williamson’s lands in Tobago which should soon be valuable, ‘they have been very successful in making sugars of late’, chasing debts in Grenada, no ships currently for Nevis, wise not to go into business with Rose of Carolina who is very honest but not a committed businessman, the governor’s saddle has arrived safely, purchases of wine, reluctant to buy fish just now, good malmsey still scarce, the vintage is much more abundant than expected, rainy weather, with restrictions on the movement of wines some of those in the northern parishes will be distilled into brandy, one of the new officials has a royal mandate making him dictator in the customs house, he has started by ‘prohibiting articles that always have been free viz made casks of every kind, made up cloaths not excepting fearnought Jackets and refined sugar’, some ships still coming in from American with wheat, flour, etc., Mrs Duff gave birth to a stillborn boy and was in great danger but has improved, 2 October 1775. With wrapper |