John Carter to Foster Cunliffe & Samuel Powel, August 3, 1738
John Carter to Mess. Foster Cunliffe & Samuel Powel Merchts of Liverpool
Shirley Aug. 3, 1738.
Gentlemen,
I have receiv'd your Letter by the Liverpool Mercht. and I look
upon it as an Instance of your particular Regard for me. But I can't help
thinking that the Master Captain Halsal, has not acted with much Discretion,
which I suppose to have proceeded from nothing, but his being unacquainted
with the Situation of this part of the Country. I received a Letter from
him two days ago, by some accidental conveyance from Hampton, to Inform
me, that he had arrived there the 15th of last Month and had brought Sixteen
Slaves Belonging to the Stannage cargo from Gambia, four of which had dyed
on the passage, and that he should have been glad of orders what to have
done with them, and had drawn a note on me to pay Col. Mackenzie £54.12.6
Current money. Instead of sending them into this place by some pilot Boat
as he might have done for a very small matter, some of them coming up almost
once in three or four days to carry down the ships, or sending an express
by which I might have sent down my own Boat to have brought them up without
any Expence at all, he carried them round to Potomack, and the first notice
I had of it was from my wife, who returned last Tuesday S'ennight from
A Visit to Col. Lee's lady, and had been told by the Col. that ten slaves
had been consigned to me in the Liverpool Mercht and that he desired I
would order some person to receive them at the Ship. upon which I immediately
dispatched two of my Servants to bring them to this place well knowing
that they could not otherwise be sold to my advantage, Col. Lee having
one ship in potomack, Captain Denham another in Rappahnnock, & Col.
Taylor in daily Expectation of two more. If I could have known that any
of them had been dead, I should perhaps have order'd them down to my house
on Rappahannock, but without that I acted as I Judged for the best, my
servants not being returned to me, I am not able to give you any acct.
of them. If you think proper to send me a Consignment from Gambia, or the
Gold Coast, I would do all I could to serve you, though really I cannot
promise any great matters, as the prices of Negroes now are. If they are
choice, fine slaves, some of the best of them might perhaps go off at Twenty
pounds Sterling a head, allowing sime Credit, but those who pay so as to
have the Money, or Bills remitted by the Ship will not care to give above
Eighteen. Men-boys, and Women-girls, as the cant name is, are most in demand,
but it is best to have a Mix'd cargo to hit all humours. I can't see why
the Masters of Ships will bring old men, & old women which must be
the same Expence in the passage, & must be sold in a Manner as the
Buyers please. I shall make no Difficulty to pay the Captain's Note, the
the [sic] number of slaves should be less than when he writ to me, I shall
write to you by the first opportunity after I have done something in this
affair, and in the mean time am
Gentlemen,
Your most humble Servant.
[John, Charles, Landon Carter Letterbook, 1732-1782, Special
Collections, Alderman Library, University of Virginia]
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