16 Nov 1821

Antigua Nov^r 16^th 1821

Sir.

  Inclosed I have the pleasure to send you M^r Joshua Kentish‘s Bill on John Blackburn Esq^r London for £156:13:3 Sterling being the amount of salvagers of three vessels wrecked on Barbuda as per account which you will receive together with the Island Accounts and the triannial returns of the Negroes which I have sent off this morning by the Brig Adelphi to the care of M^r Trattle, I have also sent by the same Brig the ten Puncheons of Rum the salvage of the Rum saved from the ship Hound two I have left for the use of the Island and it required nearly another to fill the ten up. I fear it will not sell for much but it could not be disposed of here as it would be subject to that colonial duty of 2/6 per Gallon full one third more than it would sell for the Bill of lading I have sent to M^r Trattle. It is with much regret I am not able to send you a Bill for the balance of Robertsons money it has been daily promised me for the last week but on the arrival of the mail Boat this morning I find myself again disappointed, the ship Martha will leave this some time the beginning of next week I shall do all in my power to send it by her there are no Courts open at this time of the year or I could not have been put off so often, since 11^th September we have had a continuance of Rain say sometimes more than I could have wished for, it having laid the low lands completely underwater, & it is some time before we can get rid of it, in these grounds it has done some injury to the young Corn but I hope not very materially so, the Yam Crop will be very small as the greater part of the seed tried on the ground for want of rain, in fact before the rains in September not a blade of grass was to be picked on the Island which obliged me to use a good deal of last years Hay. I trust we shall have a good crop the season as pieces were shut up immediately the rains began.

 The last wrecks have given me a good deal of trouble particularly the Hound, she was so far to Leeward of the Island as to oblige us frequently to sleep in the Boats, we never could get home in less than five Hours, in one instance we were very near losing some of our people, I was in the largest of our boats about 30 feet long & 19 feet 6inches Beam and had myself than steering her the greater part of the morning, & had not given the helm out of my hand half a minute when a gust of wind struck her she filled instantly and went down in sixteen feet water, I had ten men with me for of which could not swim & we were a mile & half from the shore after taking care of those that could not swim by securing them to the Oars we succeeded in getting the torn ballast net off (?)(Letter damaged) the Boat she then rose to the edge of the wreck(?)(Letter damaged) Lee shore under us in about an hour and half we all landed safe, having in the first instance thrown of my Coat, shoes & stockings I had about seven miles to walk without any, in the Brig with the Accounts I have sent a list of a few things required for the use of the Island, Clothing for the Negroes is the only thing of consequence they have not had any since 1818. I am

                                                                Sir

Your Most Obedient

Servant

 (signed) John James

Reference: JJ273 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.

21 Nov 1817

Bettys Hope

Antigua Nov^r 21^st 1817

Sir.

   Your favor of the first October I received by the last Mail, am happy to find the Wool sold to your satisfaction, I shall do every thing in my power to increase the flock of woolly sheep, in my next I will endeavour to form some idea of the number of sheep we shall be enabled to keep; I wished not to have written to you till my return to Barbuda, which I intended to have done this day, but the wind is now so very squally with rain that I am obliged to postpone it; and the boat will follow the Packet on Monday next. My business in this Island has been to settle the salvage of a small Schooner which was wrecked on the North side of Barbuda, on the night of the 20^th of last month; she was last from Philadelphia, and had a valuable Cargo on board, consisting of Brandy, Wine, Soap, Lard &c, she sank about 2 O:Clock in the morning; three miles from the shore, and before day light was entirely in pieces, therefore nothing was saved but what drifted to the shore, & was sold in this Island for about £700 Currency; the Crew who saved themselves in their Boat had secured the whole before I got to the beach, the vessel having gone to pieces before day light the wreck was discovered by the person I had sent round the Bays.  As we did not assist in saving the Cargo the Magistrates have only awarded us the trouble of transporting the Articles to this Island, for which they have given £100 Currency; I shall leave the money here with the hopes of getting a Bill for its amount by the next Packet.

  Lord Combermere has been visiting the Islands to inspect the Troops under his command, he reached this Island on Sunday last, hearing that he had an idea of going to Barbuda, I waited on him the day after his arrival, when I found that he had too little time at his disposal being obliged to be in Barbados on a certain day; but intends going to Barbuda the next tour he makes through the Islands, I have sold him some Heifers for his Estates which he is to send for; he requested me to let you know that I had seen him.

  In your letter you mentioned that you would endeavour to send out two or three Mares, I should feel much more obliged if you could send a good Horse or two, as we have Mares enough on the Island, but are greatly in want of good Horses; they should be about half breed with a good deal of Bone as draft Horses fit for Whiskeys are the most valuable, and the Barbuda Horses are rather too slight for that work; having been chiefly bred from the Barb.  The Dogs will be most acceptable we are greatly in want of them.  Since my last we have had an abundance of rain in fact rather too much, when I left Barbuda the low lands were entirely under water, so much so that Cart could not get from the Castle to the Fort.

                                        I am Sir

                     Your Most Obed^t Humble

                                  Servant

               (signed) John James

The Negros on Barbuda have lately been much afflicted with Bowel complaints, but I am happy to say we have had no loss

Reference: JJ265 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.

01 Nov 1814

Antigua November 1^st 1814

Sir

                Inclosed you have seven of the Commissary General Bills (Viz) N^os 3234, 3235, 3236 & 3273 for £200 Stlg each, N^os 3238, 3239 & 3242 for £150 each together £1250- Sterling, these I shall leave in the Port Office of this Island to go by H. M. Ship which takes home the Convoy, which is to leave this on the 9^th the Packet I understand has arrived at Barbados, by her I will send you the seconds, and will then write you more fully, I am

Sir

your most Obedient

Humble Servant

(signed) John James

Reference: JJ258 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.

24 November 1804

Barbuda Nov 24^th 1804

Sir,

                I had the pleasure of duly receiving your favor of the 7^th of September, you may rely on my paying every attention to the observations contained in it; and will as soon as I have your permission to request an account of the sales etc, send you a statement of everything sent from and received at this place from Mr. Hodges attention to me whilst I remained at Antigua, I have not the least idea but that we are on very good terms, I dined with him the day before I left it; and I also think let my situation here be what it may, your interest or at least my own comfort must in a great measure depend on the terms I am on with your Antigua Attorneys: With respect to my stay there I certainly thought it was longer than there was any occasion for, and was therefore very happy at leaving it.

  As mentioned in my letter of the 25^th of September I am very much pleased with this island, and have entirely made up my mind to remain here, provided my health will admit of it, and that my conduct continues to meet with your approbation, the first I have not the least reason as yet to doubt of, as I never was better in all my life than I have been since my arrival here, and the latter you may depend on my doing everything in my power to merit.

  The island from the great quantity of rain we have had and which continues almost daily to fall has a very favourable appearance, and I have no doubt but that great many cattle will be sent off this season.  The Negroes are still employed about the corn, but I am sorry to hear there is not a prospect of a great crop, as the continuance of the wet weather has caused the grass to grow faster than they were able to weed it, this might in my opinion be obviated by the use of the plough; and in case it should I see no reason why corn may not be grown in almost any quantity, but from the little experience I have had of the climate, having only seen the very best season of the year; and that a remarkable good one, it is more than probable should I attempt to form any idea of alterations that they may be wrong ones, but at the same time I must confess that my hopes of one day being able to improve the island are very sanguine.  I am sorry to inform you of the death of one of the young men of this place (a Mr. Cook) he died last week at Antigua: and also of the loss of the very fine jack-ass which was sent from England about three years since, we are therefore at this time without either one.

With the greatest respect I remain Sir your most obedient humble servt.

(signed) John James

Reference: JJ252 Robson Lowe collection on microfilm 24995, University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.