Hall, Hugh. Letter book : manuscript, 1716-1718. MS Am 1042. Houghton Library, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

Barbados {November} 26th, 1716

Madam,

I am not Ignorant what a Scene of Melancholly Reflections you have past thro' since my Departure, & how Ruffled your Spiritts yet are, that you have not heard of my Safe Arrival, which has not been ongoing to any neglect in writing, for ever since my Landing here, I have been Indefatigable in my search after Vessels bound to Your Port, but have not yet found one, so Improve on Oportunity I now have by ye way of {Martinique} & here I shall not give You a Journal of every Particular occurring since I Left Your Place, but ye following Relation may serve as a Summary hereof.

The 11th of October in ye Morning of departed your Meridian & a briske Gale Attended till ye Saturday {Evening} following; upon which Arose a very Severe Storm about {North East} which Continued till Ten on ye next Morning, a Calm Interval for about two hours Succeeded & promising Aspects of fair Weather, but in an Instant ye Sea again Raged, & an Excessive high Wind attended another Storm from ye Opposite point of ye Heavens, which put us in a strange Consternation; in this Storm we lost most of our fresh Provisions, & many other Accidents Interven'd. – But not to dwell on this Melancholly Subject, at {Evening} ye Storm Abated, a Serene Sky arrived & we had fair Weather, tho' near Winds till ye 24th, which day we Entered ye Trade Winds, & Arrived ye 5th of {November} Ensuing in ye morning. Upon which having dispatched Notice thereof, my Father {immediately} Came on Board, & Received me with ye highest Affection in ye World, since which I have had such Demonstrations of his Love as are beyond my Own Meritt & (am Sensible) Your Expectations.

In my next I Intend a more Ample Account, with a small Testimony of ye Regards often Expressed, & which shall ever be Maintained by (Honoured {Madam})

Your Dutifull Son {Hugh} Hall

To {Madam} Lydia Colman In Boston ~

( 3 )

Barbados {December} 6, 1716

Sir

Altho I have not the Honour of a Personal Knowledge of Your self. yet have sundry times Intended in an Epistolary way to kiss your Hands, Promising I might Adventure hereto, from ye Relation I stand in to your Self; but I know not what has hitherto Obstructed my Resoltutions herein; however I think my self Obliged now, from ye notice You take of me in Your last to my Father, which I had ye Oportunity of.

I Perceive you have intimations of my Fathers Intentions — upon my Arrival here, to Join me in Partnership with Himself, which (to my Admiration) you Plainly Dissuade from by the Insinuation of my Youthfulness, & Non-Experience in Merchantile Affairs, neither of which, I am Sensible, is any Discouragement to him, who is so well assured of my Integrity, & Conscious of my Capacity therefor. But if Youth is a fault it is such an one, I am daily Receeding from; & since I am determined not to be outvied by Industry and Integrity, I doubt not to Evidence my Capacity of Acquitting my self with Approbation from all such as by Divine Blessing I shall be Initiated into a Correspondency with.

Least ye present Prolixity should be Ingratefull to You, I shall only beg leave to Subscribe my self,

Your most Obedient Nephew,

& Humble Servant

{Hugh} Hall

To Edward Lascelles {Esquire}

{Merchant} in London

(4)

Barbados January 4th 1716

Madam.

Since my first to you, I have been Favoured with three Several Epistles from your Self, & it seems have Anticipated Your Desires Express in each, by Giving You a succinct Journal of my late Voyage, & the Affectionate Reception I have since Met with. You can't Surmise with what Impatience I have waited to give You a direct Information hereof, & yet after all am Again Obliged to write by a Circular Conveyance, so fear a Miscarriage which too Commonly is ye Fate of such Letters.

I was strangely Surprised at ye Confusion of Your first & really could Scarce Construe your meaning, for tho' your Introduction was Gratulatory of my safe Arrival (which I received kindly) yet ye following Harangue seemed directly to Oppose ye Sincerity of it, so think it would have been better Omitted than Intimated to me.

I don't Mention this to Insinuate any Resentment occasioned hereby, therefore hope ye freedom I have taken may not be wrested to any Misere: =presentation; for You can't be Ignorant how pleasing an Account of Your welfare is to me, & more Especially when Informed of it from Your own Pen.

I have had a treble View of fixing Mr. Parsons in ye Chamber I Pos: =sessed & doubt not You'l find him a Suitable Assistant in many Diffi: culties, that may Intervene in my Absence; and I easily Persuade my Self of his Laudable Fidelity in all my Affairs.

I have nothing new further to add but that I am without any Reserve,

Your Obedient Son, & {Servant},

{Hugh} Hall

To Mrs. Lydia Colman

In Boston

(V)

Barbados, February 28th 1716

Sir

Your Favour was ye first I had ye Honour of from any of my Friends or Acquaintances, whereby I am fully Convinced of ye Sincerity of your promised Intentions.

The Maintaining our former Amicable Correspondence in ye most Grateful Proposal You could have Intimated & You may assure yourself, there shall be no Neglect on my part, Studiously to Advance ye same.

The concern of my Friends while under ye black of Influences of the Storm You mention I was well Apprised of; But it is too Dark a Scene to Entertain You withall, & too Melancholly a Prospect for my Self again to Review; so I shall pass to my Arrival, upon which I was by my Father introduced an Acquaintance not only with men of ye highest Disctinction, but of ye best Character; & truly I have found Several not only of Strict Morality, but of true Devotion; So that they are out in their Augury, who think that here a Christian & a Gentleman are Inconsistent Appellatives in ye same Person, or that Debauchery is a Mark of Dignity.

This Innuendo is not to make Comparisons, but to Satisfie You, that tho this Place is Represented such a Mighty Colossus of Vice, yet great Pro :fessors in Religion may find many Worthy of their Imitation & Converse.

I Intend in a few Weeks for London, Encouraged by no small Assistance from my father, & ye Views I have of Great Success in Merchan :tile Affairs; & doubt not thro Divine blessing to Crown my Pursuits with a happy Establishment in ye World.

– But I fear I have already Trespassed on your Patience, by descending so pticularly, so shall only Say, that I am with all Due Regards,

Sir

Your most Obedient {Servant}

{Hugh} Hall

To ye {Reverend}d Mr Elisha Calendar

In Boston {New England}

(6)

Barbados {February} 28th 1716

Sir

Since our Unhappy Separation, I once & again Expected a few Fragrant lines from your Self, but find am Frustrated which makes me Conjecture You have Raced me out of ye Class of Your Friends, & dethroned me into ye Catalogue of those who are not worth minding; Believe me, I take those to be Your tacit Reflexions, & think you have treated me very Ignominiously. I might Charge You with ye Breach of your Word, with Flattery, & with Neglecting Prosecutions of your promised Intentions; but however (Sir) I shall not Reflect; not that I am deterred by any thing, for tho' You were an Anakim, or could Colossus like, stride ever ye Ocean, If I had a mind to Satyrize, your Gigantick stature would no ways Obstruct, Consider, I am not easily Affrighted into a Pannick fear; I desire You Therefore to Ruminate a little upon your neglect, it may be that will constrain a Countermarch of Letters from You, & make You Willing to come under ye Subscription of

Your very Humble {Servant} Mr H-U

I know now you are Confounded, & instead of this Lookt for a Journal of my Voyage, & an Accurate account of ye Nature of the Air, Clime, Constitutions, & Customs of ye People here, with ye Curio: =sities of Art and Nature I have been entertained withall, also some hints of Trade & Commerce; & all to be wrapt up in Apologies, Nice Complements, & Epistolary Congee's, but I am Resolved to baulk You, by adding nothing further than this Poesy for your Wedding Ring, That at latter Lammas, ye Greek Calends, or ye Platonick Year, I shall Subscribe my Self,

Your Most Devoted Servitor

{Hugh} Hall

To Mr Francis Wilks your most d {Merchant}, in Boston