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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 |