24 January 1807

Barbuda Jany 24th, 1807

Sir

Herewith you will receive the Barbuda accounts from the 1st October to 31st December last, also a general statement of the last year.  Mr Hodge has been paid this quarter fifteen hundred pounds sterling, I am extremely sorry bills could not be secured for the remaining £1756: 12: 9 3/4, the whole has been offered Mr Hodge several times, but as bills could not be got he declined receiving the cash; of which, he assured me, he had informed you by the last packet stop I have been at Antigua myself and has done everything profitable to probe cure bills but could not get more than what has been paid, but as Mr Hodge has promised to assist Mr Besouth in brokering all he can, I hope the whole will be sent to you by the next packet. There is a charge of £9:19:6 in the disbursements of the Island for the expenses of two passengers that were wrecked on board the Drey Schwestern, they came on the shore without a farthing and the sum was expended during the time they were at Antigua waiting for a passage to St Thomas’s; it was given them with the promise of its being repaid, but as it has not yet been done; I hope you can have no objection to its being charged as it is, should they repay it, you will have credit for it.

The island is now in pretty good condition altho we are now suffering a little from the very violent winds which have been blowing for some days, our crops both of grass and corn are rather backward owing to the dry weather we had in the beginning of the season, the former I shall begin to cut on Monday next, it will be rather a small crop but I hope I shall have a very fair crop of corn, much more than a at first expected; I have also a good many fat cattle fit for sale, but as the man of war is the best market, I shall reserve them for their coming, unless the grass should fall off as much as to oblige me to dispose of them else where.  Since I last wrote you Circe has been here under the command of Capt Pigot, I am in expectation of soon seeing the Cerberus, Capt Selby and also some sloops of war.

I have added a statement of the Negroes to the end of December, the deaths are one man from an accident, No. 35, in the list sent you in September 1805, one man and one woman from old age Nos. 160 & 167, and two children under 10 days old.

I have the honour to be

 Sir

 your most obedt servant

 (signed) John James

	Males	Females
Negroes on the island of Barbuda Jany 14, 1806:	168	168
Births to December 31, 1806:	7	6
	175	174
Deaths to same time	4	1
	171	173
Removed to Antigua	2	2
Remaining on the Island	169	171	340

                                                                                                                               

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