| Description | Two copy letters to James Gordon of Letterfourie from his brother Alexander in Madeira with plans for shipping wine, shortage of everything but flax, asking for more printed cottons and linens, maybe not herring as a new house there is getting supplies from Scotland, the problems with Mr Baillie’s plan of having vessels dependent only on two legs of their voyage for profit, problems with wine: ‘It is impossible to get Wines of the Colour they would have them and good at same time’, 28 November 1762; letter regarding bills sent, the purser of the Thames Man of War, Johnston, ‘is a Portsoy man patronised by General Abercrombie’, anxious to hear from James, news of various small cargoes, no profit on flour and grain, hoping for orders to arrive for his good customers, hoping that previous bills have reached him, ‘The Peace will soon bring down the price of everything … now the men of war are laying up and putting out of commission I doubt not but you may meet with opportunities of buying up some provisions, I mean beef and pork at an easie enough rate to yield good profit here’, shortage of salt fish, need for iron hoops and nails, request to send fifty good old Cheshire cheeses to Duff, with list of requirements, 4 January 1763 |