Naval Documents of The American Revolution, Volume 1 ... - Ibiblio

1238 AMERICAN THEATRE
Sr Finding by the late Act of Parliament no restriction has been laid upon any
import from this Colony to Great Brittain or Ireland - and willing to Discharge our
Debts due there, We have been Induced to exert ourSelves in Colecting & shiping
a Quantity of Flax seed to Ireland, the Produce of this Colony - many difficultys
having attended Our Procuring it arising from the times, & finding some quantity
of our seed is Stoped by your orders which we conceive arises from your Suposing it
to be the produce of another Colony, We therefore can assure you it has been
colected in this colony - & Pray a release of it, & that you will please to grant us
every Protection in your Power If we have not your countenance in the Admission
of the seed timely, to go through the Process of cleaning before shiped it will be
out of our Power to put the Vessel1 to Sea in the time We can with safety go - the
Channel in which We procure it will be also diverted to Providence where they are
fitting a Vessel for Ireland - & We wholy Deprived of the Benefit - We therefore
rest upon the Protection of Capn [James] Wallace to Facilitate our undertaking.
we are very respectfully ~ r [&c.] .
the Boatman Informs his Boat leaks much, any wet coming to the seed wholly
ruins it -
Newport August 26 1775
1. Champlin Papers, III,78, RIHS.
ROBERT C. LIVINGSTON TO ROBERT LIVINGSTON, JR.'
Dear Sir New York Augt 26, 1775
Since my last of the 24th I have engaged a passage in a large English built
Snow that is bound to London & will sail so soon as to deprive me of the pleasure
of Visting you ere she departs. She is the only Vessel here at present or that
probably will be bound to Engd ere the 10th Sept that can be recommended
and will leave this in zibout Eight days which prevents me waiting on you, as
the opportunities of going up & coming down the River by Water is uncertain
& a Journey by land I cannot endure I wrote you that the Man of War had
fired 2 or 3 nights ago about 18 or 20 cannon into the Town some loaded with
Grape shot & some with 18 lb & 24 lb balls which only injured 2 or 3 men - dislocated
a chimney or two - made cavities in some of the Houses and disconcerted
the inhabitants, who have been moveing for these two or three days with
their effects, as they expected a second edition of Capt [George] Vandeputs
politeness who is writing Letters to the Mayor relative to it - it was owing to
the people's removing the Cannon from the Battery by the permission of the
Provincial Congress, contrary to the edicts of the Continental Congress -
our Sloop is arrived and I believe I shall obtain 7/4 for the wheat - the
Flaxseed I must return as it cannot be sold & nothing in this Town is deemed safe -
nay altho' your Pig: Iron cannot be destroyed it may perhaps be Safier at the