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Mr Richard Bennehan Petesburg January 5th 1796 Dout. of Ebenezer Mott
Newbern Febry 20th 1796
Dear Sir I received your favor by Mr. Pitchford & am sorry your request could not be fully complyed with there being not one Hhd of cuntry Rum or a bag of Coffee to be got in town. I send you by him one Bbl of good sugar tho high. every kind of produce being verry scarce & dear. the Tobacca sold for forty five shillings pr hundred. The scarcity of Northward Rum is owing to our cropps being destroyed by the storme there not being encouragement for the Yankees to cum as hertofore. Our still Houses all being stoped for the want of Molasses. The scarcity and Demand of Westingea produce in the Islands have made them too high to import til the new cropps come in. which is about begining. the present prices of in Kingston Jamaica is Rum one Dollar coffee Eighteen Dollars pr. hundred & sugar in proportion. So that our Vessels have brought nothing but cash. We have now a number of Vessels absent & I hope they will be in time for the new cropps.
Mrs. Daves & Polly Joynes me in offering our best respects to Mrs. Bennehan & Miss Beckey. pleas to accept the same your self and believe me to be Dear Sir Yours. Verry sincerely John Daves
PS Inclosed is the bill which I bught the sugar by : as the tobacca wase Mr. Pitchfords and had no occation to make use of any of the money I have only mentioned the price it sold for Yours JD