Boston New England July 29th. 1751 Sr.,1

I heartily Embrace this my first oppertunity of paying my Respects to you, for your great Kindness to me while a Sojourner in Carolina, in perticular in that you indulged me with so great an intimacy with yr. Person &Conversation wch. so frequently cheerd up my Spirits in perplex'd Moments and made the dull hours of Stormy Weather pass by Undeaded;

Freindship. 'thou Enlivner of our Souls Thou Source of Sublunary Happiness!

You may remmember Sr. I mentioned to you something concerning a Black Walnut Desk & Book Case. I herewith send you an ex tempore Draught of the Front view of it, but would observe to you that I have drawn it (thro' Mistake) 3 inches narrower than it should be, which in some measure hurth the Grandeur of the Mien. This Book Case is divinded within into Partitions sutable for various Sizes of Books, &sundry Draws convenient for holding papers &c. The two pieces mark'd a a, under the Doors of the Case are Boards that draw out &shove in, for the convenience of setting a Candlestick on in the Evning when writing &c. at the Desk. The Desk is form'd like Common Desks. The Book Casse may be taken off from the Desk for the convenience of moving. The whole piece is allow'd to be an exceeding good peice of Stuff & worke with exceeding good Locks &gentell Brasses. It is all Black Walnut well polish'd free from any Guildings or the like Brittle Ornaments, but adorned with many beautiful mouldings &c. which for want of Time I could not express in the Draught by which I only designd to give you a generall view and Idea of the thing.

This thing I am the Possessor off & part with it purely because I have no use for it, there being to the best of my Knowledge no manner of defect or Blemish in the thing.

I recommend it to you because I doubt not it will be as great an Ornament in your Room as it will real Service in containing yr. curious collection of Books.

The Price of it as I told you is £115 from the Maker's hand, & wn. you come to see it I believe you'll not think it a great Price for so much Worke & Beauty.

If Sr. you should determine to have it, I will take the greatest care that it shall be done up in so safe a Manner that you may recieve safe & sound.

135

My Voyage to Carolina I believe will turn out but poorly by Reason of the great charges that must needs attend so long a Voyage & the dull Markett here.2

I hope Sr. that you have that Debt of Abra. Sheppard's3 into yr. hands. If as yet you have not, I confide in you Sr. to take proper measures for so doing.

As to the Accompt between us, Mr. Jos. Palmer & my self, who are soley concern'd therin desire that you would do nothing about it without Advice from us. At present our thoughts are, that I should come in a Vessell in the Fall and load with Tar &c. for England; & if you would send us An Invoice of what Goods would suit you; you may depend upon having them at the Market Price here.

But Sr. as you full well know that nothing can be more prejudicial to a Voyage than to lay long in Carolina, so if you undertake to procure us a load it must be by some determinate Time, with a reasonable demurrage in Case of Failure.

At present we are not determined what to do, Buisiness is so exceeding dull that we can scarce tell our own Minds, but as there will no doubt be oppertunitys of writing again very soon so we determine to inform you of our Conclusion. However we should be glad if you would write by the first opportunity, your thought of the whole Matter, how far you can engage & how far not. And Sr. I would desire you to direct yr. Letters to Joseph Palmer Card-Maker in School-House Lane Boston, for 'tis likely I shall not be at home. Write us word how Tar is like to be whether plenty or not & As to the Price; & if there should be any alteration in the Currency or any Circumstance of the Country that May affect Trade let us know it; & upon the whole if Sr. we should conclude to send a Vessell, & you conclude to provide for her; let me intreat you, to provide Tar at as good Landings as may be, for to load from the Red Banks Scares me.

I am well Sr. as I hope you are. If you have not perform'd your Journey to Virginia, (as you intended) may it be prosperous and attended with desired Success, if you have, I hope soon to hear the good Effects of it. My Freinds tho' ignorant of yr. Person yet Knowing of yr. Fame send their Compliments to you. In the behalf of Mr. Palmer and myself I Conclude yr. very much obliged and very humble Servant.

ROBERT-TREAT PAINE

LbC ; addressed: "To Henry Snoad Esqr. Mercht. at No:Carolina living at Maidstone Point"; no LbC of enclosure.

136 1.

Henry Snoad (d. 1752) was a North Carolina merchant with a plantation at Maidstone Point on the Pamlico River.

2.

RTP was in North Carolina from Feb. 14 to June 26, 1751, disposing of his cargo of cards, hollow ware, etc., and buying barrels of tar and pitch to take back to Boston. His diary gives a vivid account of his varied efforts to secure a cargo and some of the difficulties he encountered. On Apr. 2 he states that "About one o Clock this Morning a pack of drunken Fellows came abord and among many other abuses one threw a black Quart Bottle full of Rum at my Head which Broke partly Against my Head and partly Against a Beam near to my Head, which cut me very much and stouned me so that I could hardly Walk all day." An effort to raft tar down the river went awry "by Reason of a Cockling Sea," and led him to record the following injunction on Apr. 29: "Make it a Rule never to Raft Tarr more." RTP was back in Boston on July 10.

3.

This may be Abraham Sheppard, of Dobbs County, who served for a time as justice of the peace (The Colonial Records of North Carolina, collected and edited by William L. Saunders et al., 30 vols. Raleigh, 1886–1914], 5:657, 6:1007).