page_0425

31st
Decem.r 12---th 1760-
Sir
Cap.t Ashburne arriv'd the Begin=
=ning of last Month, by whom I have yours of the
20th of August together with some Goods, which
met with a quick Conveyance from Norfolk
I am sorry to find by y.r several Letters, that
our Staple is fallen to so low an Ebb, especi
=ally that small Part of it which appertains to
me, for I can truly say MrGoore has seldom
or ever given me any Encouragement from
the Sales of my Tob.o to continue his Correspon=
=dent - I am well pleased that you mention
the bad Management of my Tobacco, when it is
faulty, but certainly it is something odd that
I should never ship you good Tobo; but on
the contrary that which is always of
the worst Quality, in y.r Lands; the eight
by the Fly was damaged and therefore
can't turn out great matters, but really
three Pence for the sound Part of them,
Imust think a Price below [illegible] Value,
because I daily hearof Tob.o selling at y.r
Post from 4d 1/2 to 5d 1/4, which got home abt
the same time and some long since the
Fly when there could not be so good a
Price expected, as erlier in the Year, &
that for Tob.o made in the same Neighbour=
=hood & of the same sort with mine ---
This agreed by every Body that there was
a short Crop made in Virg.a the pre[sent]
Year, of which I suppose you will receive
Information from most of y.r Correspondents,
so that I hope y.r Market will once more
raise her drooping head --
I must Sir do you the Justice to declare
that you have in many Instances behaved
very genteely to me during our Correspon
=dence, which Obligation I took upon to
be reciprocal, & whenever an Opportunity on
my Part offers, I shall with Pleasure comply,
but altho Iwould by no Means prefer pri=
=vate Interest to the Ties of Friendship, yet
Necessity will oblige me to begin, greatly
against my Inclination, a Correspondence
else where unless you can dispose of my
Commodity equally advantagiously with other
People -- I wish I had not Reason to
complain of the Price of any Goods sent
turn over