17 Feb 1815

Antigua Feby 17^th 1815

Sir

                Yours of the 15^th Nov^r I have just received, the November Packet having had passage of above sixty days; with respect to M^cKays protest Bill, you are certainly entitled to 10 per Cent damages, and also to 6 per cent per annum interest; together £16: 17:6 Sterling and which you will have credit for in the Wreck Accounts; my reason for sending the Bill for £132: 7 was, that I happened to have received it just before four an old debt; & not being able to get M^cKay’s to go by the Packet I forwarded that in its place.

                As soon as the Law Courts are open I shall go to St Kitts respecting Rawlins’s Bill, that Protest, & Bill have been there some time; but the latter not arriving here till Courts of last year were shut, I thought it useless to go there at that time, but I trust now to be able to settle it.

                I am sorry to inform you that the dry weather continued so long at Barbuda that the Crop’s of Corn & Cotton have entirely failed; one piece of Corn of nearly 200 Acres has given no more than 340 Bushels, another of above 70 Acres about 45 Bushels, and one of about 30 Acres of grain, the whole of which in October last promised an abundant Crop, the Negros grounds from the same cause have next to nothing in them, in fact we have not had the least rain since the latter end of October, till the 3^rd & 4^th Ins^t when we had pretty good showers but the ground being so extremely dry before, it has not had much effect; I am taking every precaution if we have rain to plant something to help the short Crop of Corn.

                By the fleet which left this in Nov^r last I forwarded the first set of seven Bills for £1250 Sterling, the seconds by the Packet which sailed from this in December, which I trust you have received, they were for the salvage of the stores of the Woolwich sent to the Naval Yard in this Island, her ordnance stores are still to be received for.

                Inclosed you have Rich & Musgrave’s Bill on S, S & C Turner for £230: 11:9 Sterling. I am promised some more Bills by the Sailing of the Boat which follows the Packet, which will be some time next week; but as there have fallen some good showers and this Island, the last 24 Hours, I am anxious to return to Barbuda; to take advantage of any rain which may have fallen there, I shall therefore leave this upon with my agent here, to inclose them if got.

I am

Sir Your Most Obedient

Servant

(signed) John James

Reference: Gloucestershire Records Office, Microfilm no.351, Section no.6, D1610 C24
Accessed through Simon Fraser University library