August 8th. 1753. Bacon Island Road Gentlemen,

I have wrote you1 by Capt. Bartlet dated July 24th.2 which Letter you may not have recd. he not being come out of the Country at this Time, since wch. Time I have got my Vessell down & her Decks Stowd. It may Well surprize you to hear of me hear at this Time, but it cannot surprize you more than it has fretted me. Capt. Sawyer by whom I send this Letter, saild from Edenton before I got there from Loaden, notwithstanding which I shall put to Sea as soon as he does. On the 24th. of June I had all my Load on Board since which Time I have carried my Vessell to Town to clear out & am got down here, this delay has been owing to furious head Winds & almost incessant Squalls of Rain & Wind against wch. there is no striving. I have been obliged to Lighten the Vessell as much as come to 5.6.8 L. Money & then should not have got over had there not have been an Extraordinary Tide. The Vessell is compleatly full & proves tolerably tight, I hope to put to sea to morrow if it be a good Time, where if I have Winds as they have been a long Time, I shall not be much longer to Fayal than I have been coming down out of the Country, so wishing a good passage to the Hannah & Success to the Voyage I Subscribe Gentlemen yr. much obliged Humble Servant,

ROBERT-TREAT PAINE 200

LbC ; addressed: "To Mr. Henry Leddel Mercht. Boston pr. Capt. Sawyer."

1.

Probably the Capt. Isaac Freeman who in 1748 was master of the ship Bethel when it captured the Spanish ship Jesus Maria and Joseph off Portugal with its rich cargo (Frederick Freeman, Freeman Genealogy [Boston. 1875], 105).

2.

July 23.

Fayal September 16th. 1753 Sr.,

I sail'd from Ocacoe Barr on August 10th. & after a Calm passage of 36 days We anchored in Fayal Road on the 14 day of September. Upon Enquiry I find the marketts to be exceeding dull, occasioned by the vast Quantity of Staves there are in the place & the Scarceness of Wines. I have not had so much as one offer made me for my Staves except I would take new Wines, wch. I cannot think either consistent wth. my orders or your Interest. Here is a Vessell from Virgina that sold Staves for 1 1/2 pipes Wine, here are two Vessells with Fish wch. with great difficulty they have sold & give 25 Mills per Pipe for Wine; So that I do not see the Least Prospect of disposing of my Cargo & am preparing to proceed to Cales1Much against My Will the Season of the Year being so far advanced & the Sloop having so bad a Main Sail. As yet I have lost no Time for the Wind has been at East ever since I have been here. I hope to find good Marketts & great dispatch in Cales So as that I may be at home before Cold Weather. I think off nothing more to inform you off, but that I am well & determin'd to persue yr. Interest & so I subscribe myself yr. Obliged humble Servt.,

ROBERT-TREAT PAINE

LbC ; addressed: "To Mr. Henry Leddle Mercht. Boston."

1.

Cadiz, Spain.

Fayal Septr. 18 1753

I have just Time to inform you that after an exceeding passage of 36 days I am arrived at Fayal,1 but can by no means sell my cargo & therefore shall proceed immediately to Cales. You'll excuse my Letters being201incoherent & my giving any perticuler discription of my Circumstances, & the place for if I should begin twould take me a Week to write it. In General I meet with no difficulty of discourse for the People salute me in Latin as I pass the Streets & universally express their Sorrow that I am obliged to proceed farther for a Markett. There are many things here curious & worthy notice, wch. I must defer mentioning, till good providence shall grant us a happy Meeting, which that it may be speedy is the desire & prayer of yr. dutifull Son,

ROBERT-TREAT PAINE

RC ; addressed: "To Mr. Thomas Paine Mercht. Boston These"; endorsed.

1.

RTP had a pleasant stay in Fayal, visiting the nunneries and churches and being entertained at the consul's house. In his diary entry of Sept. 24, he gives the following description of the town: "Fayal is a considerable Town built all of Stone Seated at the Bottom of A Bay that is 16 Points open, being all open to Sea on the SW and not exceeding good on the NE. Pico lays south of it distant 6 Miles which in some measure breaks the Sea from that Quarter, but at best tis a very wild Road, in the Town there are z Convents of Nunns one according to the Order of St. Eclaire and call'd St. John's and the other of Conceptions and call'd Gloria, here is also a Jesuits Colledge a fine building (considering the Place) the church belonging to which is very finely Adorn'd, and also a Convent of Fryars of the Order of St. Francis, and one of White Fryars or Carmelites, here are two Parish Churches besides those that belong to the Convents, the buildings are all of Stone but exceedingly mean both as to furniture and building. The Town is Encompass'd with a high Wall on the Sea Side, here is one large Fort and severall small ones, there is a Market but no Regulation or convenience of bying Provisions, here is to be seen the Remains of an Artificial River which the Danes cut into the Island to secure their Vesells, but is now filld up, on the Top of Fayal, there is a hollow in the Shape of a Cone being 8 miles circumference and half a mile deep at the Bottom of which there is a pond of Water, this is often visited by the Curious, in the months of June and July. Five Pistareens here are equall to I millree which is 25 per cent more than their value being so ordered by them for the Sake of bringing Change into the place, they are Ruled by a Governor and Adjutant and Patroon of the Harbour."