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To Messrs Johnston & Bennehan Merchts Snow Hill No Carolina
pr Neg. Paul }
[Feb. 5. 1773]
Mr Richard Bennehan
Dr Sir
Your kind favour this day came to hand with 2 Hhd Tobo. the weights of which shall be sent you when Inspected, you’ll receive pr Bearer one Hhd rum & one Barrel Sugar which wish safe to hand, I’m sorry we cou’d not send you a full Hhd. rum this being the very last we have on hand nor is there a Hhd N Rum at Milner’s, Mr J D is at S Quay, Mr A. C is not yet return’d from WmBurg. I hear the Exchge is settled at 25 p Cr. after a long dispute, the general opinion was till the last of the court 27 ½ & is thought to rise without doubt in April, There has one of the most shocking accidents happened at this Court that ever was known since the Country Turn over
[sideways in margin] has been settled owing to the d—d Counterfeit money emitted in 1769 & 1771 all £5 Bills many of the Merchts from Peterburg & upward has suffer’d very considerably some of them to £1000
of it at Court others 2, 3 & £400 indeed there is no knowing how much was circulating at Court tho Mr. Dunlop when he came down imagin’d there must be between 6 & 8 Thousand pounds. Inclosed is a Seale which is look’d on to be a certain rule to discover the Bad Money by comparing it with the water lines in the paper I expect large quantitys of it will take a course your way as several people from Orange & Granville has offer’d some here of late.
I am Dr Sir Yr mo. H Servt Robert McKittrick
Milners Febry 5th 1773
Petersburg Feby 15th 1773
Esteemed Friends
I have this day recd. your favour of the 9th with the 2 Hhds Tobo. wihc I have just inspected & have sent you the weight at foot, also of the other 6 Hhds you mention, I have got the 2 Faggots Steel from E Brisbane which I suppose to be yours there was no Steel mentioned in the Bill Lading or we might have found it out sooner, I have had no N. Rum for some time now none in the Place, John Thompson had a few Hhds: just sent in from Rhode Island & have got you one from him, but can’t get a Barrel Sugar for you in the Town, as paying Carriage up & down will be a heavy Tax upon the Goods if you can’t dispose of them, Please do keep the Ruggs & pr of Dutch Blankets & send the others down, I shall be most likely to sell them to some Person in Carolina & I had better give them an order to call upon you for them than have to pay the Carriage back.
By what Judgment I can form of Tobo. I think the general market Price will be 18/. tho’ I believe there was none sold in Williamsburg higher than 2d & I think I could now Buy a large quantity at that Price for Cash, but if more ships come in it may make the market brisker, the Exchange in general was 25 prct. I sold my own Bills on Bristol @ 27½ There has been no discovery made of the Goods Stole out of the waggon. I am with Respect your assured Friend Edw Stabler
I expected Wm Johnston would have sent for his Books before this Time, as they are a valuable article, I did not think it proper to send them without his order.
over
S P. Saml. Peske No. 562 1400. 134. 1266 563 — 1440. 136. 1304 1208 — 1415. 122. 1293 1209 — 1400. 123. 1277
Charles Horton’s both Hhds: refus’d & only sav’d 700lb out of both
B F Benj. Forrest Inspected to Day No. 1939 Wth 1150. 1940 — 1281.