29 July 1813

Antigua July 29^th 1813

Sir

                I feel equally disappointed and mortified at not being able to send you more than the two inclosed Bills one for £150 the other for £50 making together £250 Sterling which is the whole I have been able to receive by this Packet.  You have also the duplicate of the Bill sent you in my last of the 27^th June for £76 Sterling before this I was in hopes of being on my passage to England but the not being able to settle your accounts has prevented me but I trust by the next Packet or at furthest by the following one to finally close them; I shall then take my passage in a Packet.  My own Private Accounts I shall unavoidably be obliged to leave unsettled. I have written to St Kitt’s respecting Mr Rawlins’s business, have not yet received an answer, but suppose I shall by the return of the Mail Boat.

  I am sorry to say we are stricken (?) very dry at Barbuda they have not had a drop of water in the Cistern for the last four months.  On Friday last we had a pretty severe Gale.  I was in hopes it would have been attached with rain but it went off without it, the Gale was not sufficient to do us any injury; I was obliged to send a small Vessel which was there to sea she returned in the Evening with her sales & rigging much damaged; she fortunately had on board a load of Corn for Antigua which prevented her been driven to Leeward. Notwithstanding the drought I have pleasure to say that the stock as yet have not suffered they have been constantly fed on Hay, & are now making the risks look small but I trust we shall have enough to last us much longer than the dry weather can possibly last fortunately both the North & South sides of the Island have had occasional showers, it is only the middle which is suffering. I am

Sir

Your Most Obedient Humble

Servant

(signed) John James

Reference: Gloucestershire Records Office, Microfilm no.351, Section no.6, D1610 C24
Accessed through Simon Fraser University library