Trinity June 14th, 1810
Mr. Robert Slade Sir
I now enclose your alpha’s, invoice & bill of lading of her cargo
which vessels we did not finish loading until this day, owning the bad
weather, we have had since writing you the seven inst the Lady Ann.
Neither the Cosmopolite, Falcon or Gallopper are returned for the reason
of the formers destination & on her account of her fish & hoops I beg to
refer you to the copies of Hart & Eppe’s letters here enclosed.
The removal of the bounty, the suspension of the American none
intercourse act & the favorable account from Portugal seem to hold forth
encouraging prospects for the sale of fish your early letters prevented
me from purchasing old fish this spring. I am sorry we can’t raise a
cargo for the Falcon, but there is none now to be bought, nor has there
been any for sometime past without Bill. I am anxiously looking out for
the Active & Gannet, as our stock of salt is drawing short & if either
one or the other do not soon make her appearance we shall be bad off,
Mr. Garland had a large ship (Chartered) arrive from Liverpool,
yesterday loaded with that article, the Capt of which did not hear of
any other Vessels Coming from thence to this place, except the Garland
Mr. Durrell kindly offers to lend one or two Hogsheads should ours not
arrive in time. The opening of the American Ports will I expect
considerably lower the price of provisions & I wish very much you had
not sent out that old bread, the people here don’t consider the
reduction of price as anything when the quality is inferior, it is very
much touched with the wevil & I fear we shall be a long time before we
get rid of it even at a reduced price, but the worst of it is, giving
the place a bad name. I would advise you always to send good articles
but the price be what it will you say you shall send out the necessary
articles for another schooner at summer I give strong reasons to
discourage it. My reasons for discouraging the building of another are
these, we cant get her ready for the ice next spring without hiring
another carpenter or two & a blacksmith, the processing of all or either
of these would be very difficult & perhaps impossible surpassing she was
finished in time, the uncertainty of procuring a master & crew for her
to the ice is very great & I don’t at present see any real necessity for
two Schooners for any other purpose as tis likely we can have a small
brig out early next spring to cruise up the bay at all events I would
advise you to defer it for another twelve months we shall have plenty of
work for are two carpenters to do, perhaps we might build a good fishing
boat, bait skiff ice hunting punts (the two former of which are badly
wanting) & get the stones in tolerable repair, all of which must be
neglected should we put up another schooner the only objection against
deferring it is the having by us, Timbers, & knees partly sufficient.
I entertain a bad opinion of ice hunting when I wrote you last fall,
& the cosmopolite expensive & bad voyage has rather added to it, but as
it is chance work & your ice hunters have made two poor voyages, the
probability of making a third good voyage seems rather to preponderate &
I would therefore advise you to make one trial more at least & to inform
me as early as possible, that I may (if you wish another sealing voyage
to be undertaken) look out in time for another master should you
disapprove of Spencer.
In your letter of the 16th March you told me that J.N.O. Pope would
not be able to come out & that you should send a person in his stead by
the Falcon on her arrival I was much disappointed on finding no such
person on board, I shall stop until the Gannet & Active arrives, when if
I have nothing further concerning your sending one, I believe I shall
make an enquiry at St. John’s for an active young lad of the description
I think is necessary, for I assure you, as I have told you before, it is
of the first consequence that the Books & Stores be properly attended
to.
The cod fishery has just commenced with rather a favorable prospects
although late as soon as the hand returns I shall dispose of them in the
best manner I possibly can for the killing a voyage. I have not yet
quite determined on sending the schooner to the French shore, but as
dower is an old hand then. I believe I shall if I can arrange the hands
here to advantage. Christopher Christian I keep employed in the sail
loft where if he recovers his health he will be of service, but hitherto
he has been in a very weak state, as he also was (as I finds by the
captain) during the greater part of the passage out. The Boy a passenger
is put on board by Mr. Adams, who I believe expects Mr. Baird will pay
his passage home but if he does not, I am to charge Mr. Adams £ 6.6 his
account here the alpha I suppose you will send out again early, should
the Gannet or Active miscarry her cargo of salt (alphas) would be very
necessary a few coals I suppose you will also send by one or other of
them I cant say anything positive about lumber until I see either the
Gannet or Active. We have had a punt put fishing the last 2 or 3 days &
have a large skiff in readiness which I shall send out tomorrow. Hoping
the winds & weather will shortly permit the return of our hands & the
arrival of one of the salt vessels I remain
Sir your humble servant
William Kelson
Source: Trinity Historical Society |