Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 1
Upon my first Arrival I wrote you by Capt. Emerson which I expect you have reced., since wch. Time have been Industriously Employ'd in loading the Hannah, which is at last accomplish'd & her Rigging fitted for sailing. You may wonder what should detain me so long in the Country, nor is it possible throughly to satisfy you unless you were here to see the Situation of the Country & the Circumstances of Loading a Vessell here. The Letter of Advice got so late to Mr. Blunt that he was obliged to engage a few Staves of one Man & a few of Another; (for no man would undertake to get many the Crop being so near on hand) that so I was obliged to go to three different Rivers for My Load & to a great many Landings in each River; barely wch. Moving about of my Vessall consumed a quarter of the Time. Another Detriment that attends my Arriving So late into the Country, is, that not having any quantity of199Staves to cull my Load, I was obliged to take a great many that are very thick & clumsey, by means of wch. the vessell will not Carry as many by some thousands as was expectd, but upon enquiry I find that the Staves will sell the better for being So large. In order to make them stow the better I have saw'd them all to the proper Length, & I believe the Hold is as well Stow'd as possibly could be, her Decks are full fore & aft, I expect to want some Literage, but how much can't say. I have laid in Such Provisions as is thought Necessary for the Voyage, wch. is as bad as can well be eaten, Provisions are always scar