12 Aug 1821

Antigua August 12^th 1821

Sir.

    At the time of writing you last I was about to proceed to the wreck of the Spanish schooner in search of the money said to be on board of her, but after every exertion nothing of the kind could be found, the Cotton &c was brought to this Island & sold; the Cotton sold very low being much damaged the amount if sales about six hundred pounds, one third of which has been awarded for salvage; but before I could finally arrange it I was obliged to return to Barbuda in consequence of another vessel running on shore on the west side of the Island, she was the ship Hound from St Vincent for London laden with sugar, Rum & Cotton she struck about one o:clock of the first of this month but soon got off and were proceeding on their voyage, but found she made so much water were obliged again to stand for the land, & fortunate for them they had not proceeded far, for in less than half an hour she went down in about twenty five feet of water consequently her Decks are covered and all the sugar lost, the Rum is saved, and so I hope will be the Cotton, the latter is but a small quantity.  I have brought to this Island one of your Schooners (the Bethel) laden with different articles & shall return for more as soon as she can be discharged which I hope will be tomorrow; this has been a troublesome wreck as she is about seven miles from the land & to leeward of the Island consequently we have been obliged for the last week to sleep on board that Boats, I rather think we shall be obliged to ship that Rum to England to prevent paying that Colonial duty, but that I have not been yet able to ascertain as I am but just landed and the mail boat sails immediately after the Packet, we are much in want of rain not been able as yet to plant much Corn. By The Percy Hale Captⁿ Head who sailed the latter end of last month I shipped for you four Turtle a barrel of Arrow Root, a barrel of Cashew seeds, and a box of turtle shell which I hope will arrive safe as I was then engaged with the Spanish wreck & therefore fear no bill of lading has been forwarded

                                                                       I am

                                                                                Sir

                     Your Most Obedient

                      Humble Servant

               (signed) John James

Reference: JJ271 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.

07 Aug 1820

The entire first page is missing

  With regard to the Negroes I must again say this Island would do much better with only one half the present number now on it, than with the whole and I should be happy to part with them, but it will be impossible for me to do so without some assistance. The Droughers are also a great burthen to this Island is although Expense, & trouble fall on Barbuda; and their services almost exclusively to the benefit of your Antigua Estates; without any trouble or expense. As it is your desire to hear frequently I shall make a point of writing the first day of every month when it will be sure to meet the Packet at Antigua.

  Enclosed you have the second of M^r Otto Baijers draft on Mess^rs Davidson Berkly Inc(?) for £259.19:11 the first was sent by Mr Lemon with the Island Accounts. I am

Sir

Your Most The the Obed^t Humble

                                                                                Servant

(signed) John James

Reference: JJ268 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.

12 Aug 1817

Barbuda August 12^th 1817

Sir.

   By the second June Packet which arrived at Antigua last week, I had the pleasure of receiving your favor of the 15^th June; I am sorry to say that the first of Rawlin’s Bill has not yet reached me, the Courts are now closed till next March, before which time I trust it will be sent; when I will immediately proceed to St Kitts, & do every thing that is possible to recover it: since I have been here I have corresponded two or three times with Governor Probin, & shall make a point of waiting on him whenever I may go to St Kitts, it is his particular desire that I would do so.

  It was not my intention of going to Antigua till after the Hurricane months are over, but in consequence of a French Brig from Guadeloupe bound to Bordeaux, with Sugar, Cotton, Coffee, & Rum having been wrecked on the South East end of the Island, on the Night of the second Instant, at which we have been ever since working; I shall be obliged to go in a few days, to settle the salvage.  Immediately on her striking which was about ten or eleven O:Clock at Night the Captain & Crew took to their Boat, without taking in a single Sail supposing themselves to be on the Anegada reefs; she was in sight of the Fort, and a signal was made at daylight for a vessel in distress, but from the distant she was, and having the boats to carry over land three miles, & then about ten to row against the wind, it was Noon before I could get on board her, by which time in consequence of the Sails having been left standing her bottom was so much injured that she was nearly full of water, at least as high inside as it was out, I immediately preceded to unbend her sails, & get down her Yards and top masts to make her lay more easy; the next day the Captain and part of the Crew returned, they having been at Antigua, since which we have been endeavouring to save as much of the Cargo is possible, and sending it to Antigua; this morning I sent off the last with the Captain & Crew, and shall follow as soon as I know on what day the sale of it is to take place.  Little of the Sugar has been saved as everything but the top Tier was wet & the Sugar washed out, but the Cotton, Rum, and Coffey are all saved, it has been some trouble as I have had every day six miles to ride to the Boats, & then about as many to row to the vessel, I should think that what has been saved will sell for about five or six thousand Dollars.

  I am happy to say that since my last we have had some good rains particularly so on Wednesday last (on which day it rained & blew so hard as to prevent our getting on board the wreck) that I have been enabled to plant the whole of my Corn & Cotton, if we have a good season I trust we shall have a good supply; my Yams are looking remarkably well a large quantity of which are planted.

  By the ship Francis which left Antigua on the first of this month I have sent to Mr Trattle five Bales of Cotton, as the vessels were employed carrying Sugars, I was not enabled to send it over till 31^st July, consequently could not get a The bill of Lading in time to write Mr Trattle, but desired my Agent at Antigua to forward him one under a blank cover by the ship, which he assures me he has done, a duplicate of which I enclose in this.  I hope you will not forget the Bull Dogs, we have many very fine Oxen in the woods but cannot get them for want of good Dogs, I have lately been applied to for seventy Head but cannot procure them, as the weather has been so favourable (letter damaged) time past that they will not go to the Pens to water.

                                        I am

Sir

Your Most Obe^dt Humble

            Servant

(signed) John James

Reference: JJ264 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.

10 August 1812

Barbuda August 10^th 1812

Sir,

   Since my last of the 30^th (July ?)  another Packet has arrived, I went immediately to Antigua to endeavour to get Bills from Mr Black & Holloran but without effect, however I received on my own Account a Bill for £160 Sterling which I now forward you and which will receive, as well as the Bills and Accounts forwarded by the last Packet, & the ship Braganza; the Bill now enclosed will when Mr Blacks Accounts are settled more than pay you the amount of the Balance due from Barbuda, as per Account sent with my last.

   On my return here on Saturday I found that H: M: Brig Opossum had just been got under sail she had run on shore on the morning of Thursday last, on the N: W: side of the Island, she had the good fortune to pass through the Reef, and only Grounded when close to the shore; she must have come at least a Mile & half through Rocks none of them more than three times her length from each other, this is the only place she could have so escaped in the whole of this side of the Island. Altho I was not present I am happy to find every exertion was made to get them off which succeeded, after she had been considered as lost by the Captain, and Officers, which appears by the Certificate the Captain has sent me.  Mr Walker the Overseer & thirty of our picked Men were on board her the whole time, of whose conduct & exertions Captⁿ Morbrige speaks highly; a Copy of his Letter to me you will receive with this, her Guns were all thrown overboard tomorrow I shall endeavour to get them up. They also lost all their Anchors the last holding just long enough to enable them to make Sail, had it given way fare minutes sooner in all probability the whole trouble would have been lost.

   Since my last we have had some rains but not as much as I would wish for, our Corn is all planted, but requires more rain to get it forward, the Pastures never looked better than at this time.  I fear we shall not sell much this Quarter, as I have declined sending any more Cattle or Sheep either to Black or Holloran until the Old Accounts are settled, should many Ships arrive at Antigua, they will find it difficult to supply them and will therefore be obliged to have recourse to me, consequently must settle the old Accounts. Black as applied to me to give them a general credit of six Months which I have told him I am not authorised to do.

   Mr George Martin has sent me a Protest for the non-Acceptance of Mr Rawlins’s Bill for £354: 11: 4 Sterling I have written to Mr Rawlins on the Subject, tho I doubt not the Bill will be paid when due; he is I understand a man of large property in the Island of St Kitts. I am Sir

your most Obedient Humble

Servant

(signed) John James

(Copy)

H: M: Sloop Opossum off Barbuda

Aug^st 8^th 1812

Sir

  I should be much wanting did I omit mentioning to you the very great exertions of Mr Walker and the Men under his charge to him and them I feel indebted for the safety of the Ship, her situation was much as to leave me little or no hopes of saving her and nothing but the knowledge they had of the place I am convinced did it, but it is suffice it to say altho you was not on the spot, there could not have been more energy or zeal to save His Majestys Ship shown. In this all must have been well instructed; therefore request your Acceptance of my most grateful thanks trusting soon to have the pleasure of your acquaintance, and being able to return them personally.  I am Sir

yours very thankfully

(signed) J Mobridge

I have given Mr W a certificate and shall take care to do every thing for him on my arrival at Antigua which I request you will admit of fear the Boats are somewhat damag’d but trust a handsome remuneration will be granted I shall write you on the subject.

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

8 August 1810

Barbuda August 8^th 1810

Sir

  The salvage for the sloop Unicorn has been settled, the Gross amount of the sales is £1570. 15 the Magistrates have awarded you one third which is £523. 11. 8 but you will have to pay out of it £50 the hire of a Drougher that took over part of the Cargo, as well as some Lighterage; the reason of these being hired was, that, the wreck happened at a time when the Fleet was about sailing and when Mr Hodge was a good deal pressed & therefore required the Island vessels to get your Sugar down in time; the amount of the salvage I presume has been paid on this to Mr Martin.

  The Island quarters accounts to 30^th June I have left in Antigua to be forwarded to you by the Packet, the Balance of which is £1854. 11. 11 ½, the greatest part of which I have paid Mr Martin and I have no doubt but the whole is paid by this time, as I left the very particular directions Mr Boadley the agent to do it.

  I have great pleasure in forming you that since my last we have had some very good rains particularly within the last week, in consequence of which the whole of the Yams are now in the Ground, and are doing well. I have also planted about 150 Acres with Cotton, one half of which is Now Land, and is looking as well as I could wish, the other half is in Land that has been cleared some years, and I fear from its present parents will not succeed, unless the weather continues to be favourable, however if the Cultivation is found to answer, I shall be unable to get if sufficient quantity of good Land cleared for another season. The stock over every description, from the great abundance of Pasture, all over the Island, are in as good condition as could be wished for; we have had a much larger quantity of Calves this season than I ever remember. The remainder of the last years yams I have now been able to dispose of, Admiral Cochrane has bought them at 12 (shilling symbol) per 112 lbs(?) for the Navy, a schooner sailed from this yesterday with 39 thousand weight.

  I have sent to Antigua four Green Turtle, & three Barrels of Cashew Nuts to be forwarded to you by a ship belonging to Mr Trattle, and Sam which will sail I understand in a few days.

                                                                                              I have the honor to be
                                                                                                Sir
                                                                                                your most obedt. humble servant
                                                                                             (signed) John James

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