Boston Jany. 6th. 1767 Sr.,

I wrote you last by Capt. Cobb to which beg leave to Reffer. This day recd. a Letter from Mr. James Green of Providence dated 27th ulto. adviseing that the day before, he was attached by Mr. Tisdall of Taunton, who was sent by R. Caldwell to take sd: Green Deposition on his sd. Caldwell:s side, as was afterwards discover'd, but at first sd: Tisdale pretended that he was a friend of mine & that you wanted to have the Dispute settled, therefore wd. take it as a favr. he sd. Green wd. go before a Justice of the Peace and answer him to such Questions as he shd. ask him, or he wd. go and bring a Justice to him, but he sd. Green then strongly Suspecting him to be Satan in sheeps Clothing, rejected the proposal, haveing allready on oath certified in his Deposition all he knew on both sides, wch. being forwarded sometime before to you to lay before the Gentlemen Refferees & not haveing a copy then by him to Refresh his Memory, wd. not gratifie the the Scoundral nor his Master who is a greater one, tho' was oblig'd to make his appearence before a magistrate, who on Mr. Greens declaring he knew nothing more of the affair then he had set forth in his Deposition allready, wch. was then in the hands of the Refferees, he was Dismist & Satan then appearing more like himself, shew some resentment thereat & after Threating Mr: Green to pay him another Visit return'd back from whence he came, much Disappointed in his attempt I shd. be glad you wd. Examin him on this point & Expose384him (I hope he is not your Representative but only one of the same name). Mr. Green writes further, that this same fellow Tisdall brought a Letter ready Cutt & dry'd for him to sign, wch. was to be (as he said) Directed to you, but sd. Green reffuseing to have any sort of Concern with him in sd: Letter, he then produced a paper drawn up for him to sign, wch. was to be laid before the Refferes, however none of his Bate answer'd his purpose, & believe he will Try no more. It Seems very odd he shd. say that you wanted Mr. Green to be Examin'd further, wch. Examination appear very plain from the whole of sd. Tisdall's conduct to have been only Intended & design'd wth. a view to set aside sd: Green's Deposition, or to hurt the credit of it in some Shape wth. the Refferes, for had the Fellow Succeeded in his Scheem, you must have been a wrong person to carry any such Letter or paper took, on less he thought you was on sd. Coldwalls side, such poceedings appear Strange to me, but for the prest. & untill I can have the pleasure of seeing you here. I shall say no more on this Disagreeable Subject, but Conclude wth. Tender of Services. Sr. Your most hble. Servt.

GILBT. DEBLOIS

RC ; addressed: "To Robert Treat Payne Esqr. Attorney at Law In Taunton"; endorsed.

Bos. Jany. 8. 1767 Sr.,

The Inclos'd was to have gone by Mr. Liscomb a few days ago, but mist of him. This moment recd. yours by Capt: Smith. of 5th. Instant & note the Contents. Mr. Auchmuty wants only to know the Steps that were taken at yr. Court wth: Mr. Hellon in Recoverg: Judgemt. against him also what was done wth. all my attachments, & in what manner the Execution now lays &c. and desires you will bring him all the necessary papers (I suppose he means) out of the Clerk's office.

I am sorry to observe by yours, that there has been so many meetings on Caldwell's affair, & yet not Determin'd, make no doubt you'l do your utmost in order I may have justice done, as to Caldwell:s produceing more Evidence it cannot be such as ought to carry any sort of weight wth. the Gentn. Refereese, & he may take what pains he pleases to set aside Truth, but hope will not Succeed, you see by the Inclos'd that his385plan is to set aside (if he can) the Depositions & I make no doubt he will Endeavour to pick up some kind of Fellow that will say & sware to anything, but I am thoroughly convinc'd (as is also Mr. Auchmuty) that if the Gentn. Reffereese are not Partial, they will given the Case in my favr. as to Caldwell:s bringing Evidences that the Lumber was better then Common, or that it cost him more then I Demand it at, is quite Idle, for neither of these is doubted, but can he fairly & Clearly prove to the Satisfaction of the Gentn. Refferees that Mess. Rhoads & Leadbetter were not agreed upon by us both, to Pick & Cull the sd: Lumber, that he made no agreement about the price of it when first Engag'd to supply me, or that he made a new agreemt. for Price after he began to supply sd: Lumber Either wth: me or with any other person whatever in my behalf, shd. he persist that the above was the case, how came it about that he sufferd sd: Rhoads & Leadbetter at first to Cull the sd: Stuff, & if he agreed at first at no Certain price, or did afterwards fix a price, what occation was there for him to Dispute &c. wth: sd: Cullers, & Reffuse to Supply my Ships with what Lumber they requir'd more to fill them up, I think it cannot appear otherwise (let him sd. Caldwell try every unfair unjust method he pleases) then that sd: R. & Leadbetter were actually agreed on both to pick & Cull all the sd: Lumber, & that he was to Deliver his the same at the price of the other persons I Contracted with at the same time for Lumber to be Cull'd by the same persons Rhoads & Leadbetter, therefore ought in justice to be accordingly Settled at the same rate I paid them. I will not add further on this matter, if what has been related allready wth. the Depositions &c: will not produce me justice, there is no such thing as geting at it where there Fifty other Evidences to be found it could not so Remain wth: Regard Sr. your most hble. Servt.

GILBT. DEBLOIS

RC ; addressed: "To Robert Treat Paine Esqr. Attorney at Law In Taunton per Capt. Smith"; endorsed. Ellipses indicate a hole in the paper.