27 June 1814

Antigua June 27^th 1814

Sir,

By H.M. Ship Hannibal which took the Convoy yesterday from this, I sent you the second of three Bills of Exchange Viz Tho^s Allmans on Alex^r Worswick for £717:12:6, Mich^l Furlonge’s on Mess^rs Plummer Barham & C^o for £200 and James Athills on Mess^rs S S & C Turner for £132 together £1049:12:6 Sterling, the first of which you have now inclosed as I doubt not that Packet will be first Home. Mr Hodge has given me Lieu^t M^cGuire’s Bill, it not having been paid, which I am sorry for, being Naval officers pay Bill I thought it the best I could to send, however the money is safe as he has Prize money due in this Island, and in the hands of the person from whom the Bill was taken; the other two Bills, MacKays & Taylors they assure me will be paid when due, the former was taken from Mr Hodge for Lumber bought by them, & the latter paid for Lumber bought by Mr Taylor, however I trust they will both be paid before you receive this, I have not yet heard any thing from St Kitts respecting Rawlin’s Bill but if I do not soon I will go there myself in my way to England, I was in hopes to have gone in the Fleet that left this yesterday, I had taken my passage, but at last I found it impossible to arrange things to my satisfaction, but I hope to leave this in the next Packet, Mr Hodge has kindly promised to do any thing for me in my absence. All the stores from the Woolwich except a few spars, which another trip will complete are now over, I have applied to the Commissioner for payment of the salvage, the answer I have received is that I must first consult the Lords of the Admiralty, upon what grounds I know not, as I saw the Letter from the Admiralty to him desiring him either to sell the Articles on the spot, or have them brought to Antigua, whichever he might think proper; I have his Letters offering me a third part of their appraised value delivered at English Harbour which I accepted & have accomplished. I think from a conversation I had with the store keeper that there will be no difficulty in getting the Admiralty order to pay it, but that the reason they will not do it have without it, is that the sum is much larger than they at first expected, but as the stores have been valued by themselves I should have thought the larger the sum the better they would have been pleased, they will not even give me a Copy of the Valuation for fear as the storekeeper himself told me I might oblige them to pay it, but at the same time gave me to understand, that the salvage, would be above two thousand pounds Currency exclusive of the Ordinance stores, which must be paid in England, probably you may have interested enough on the Vouchers being sent by the Commissioner to the Admiralty to have the money paid in England, this ship has given me more trouble than any other I have had to do with, from the size of the materials which obliged me to be constantly present to prevent accidents.

            I am sorry to inform you that we are still as dry as ever, there has been some good rain in this Island, but we have not partaken of it, consequently I am now obliged to feed on Hay, and Bush, I have now one large Rick, & the best part of two others left, which I hope is the rainy season is near at hand or more than scove us, our losses amongst the Cattle have been nothing as yet, & upon the whole they are looking better than I’ve would expect, the sheep I cannot so well command but I have no reason to think we have as yet lost many, I have had every Spring on the Island hand out, so we’re pretty well off for water.  I have not been able to send the Cotton by this Fleet as I found on my arrival here that the Captain of the Ship which was to have taken it intended carrying it on Deck, and at the same time declared that it would be your risk, which I objected to immediately particularly so after his declaration.  By the Bristol Volunteer I have sent you to Turtle branded CC, & one by the West Indian to London, I also sent you five by the first Fleet which I hope you have received 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