Stede to Lords of Trade 19 Oct 1687 (TNA)

{May it Please your Lordships} { Barbados: 19th October: 1687/} I Doe not presume to trouble you with Letters soe Often as my duety would Oblige mee. If I had any thing to Acquaint your Lordship with, worthy your Reading, but least my too long Sulence Should represent meeas remiss in the preformance of that duty, I take this opportunity of Laying my selfe at your Lordships Feet, and humbly acquaint you, that God be thanked wee are here in great Peace & quiett, with Loyall & faithfull hearts to his Majesties Person & Gobernment, Praying for his long life and happy Reigne over use, as our dutifull affections obliges us ; - But we are most Certainely become very Poore our Goods not Yeilding anything in Europe, though wee made but little this yeare, and - no prospes of matering of any Considerable quantities the two Succeeding yeares, for what - the Long drouth did not destroy, but came forward with the Raines wee have had, of which wee Yett stand much in Need, the Catterpillar, Locust & other vermine have in misserable - manner destroyed far beyond all Examples of any former tyme Since the Island was Settled, Soe that wee are in Misserable Condition, not haveing money in the Island in any reasonable exportion to Supply the Wants of it, now any meanes to bring money to us, haveing soe little produce from the Land, and the People Exceedingly in debt & their Creditt so Lost that many Want and are not Supplyed, not Can the Credittors gett any Pay, but in land, which is now of Little Value. Soe - that both Debtor & Crediter are at great loss what to doe, the One to be paid, and the other to be farther Creditted, but that which Discourages the People most of all, even to distraction, is an Imperfect- Relation our two last Advises from Lordships have brought us, of a Project Sett on foot by some Indigent & other persons, to Obtaine some Grant, Order , Warrant or Authority for to Enable them to be the onely vendors of the Sugars, and other the produce of this & other his Majesties American Collonies, and that to them and their substitutes, Onely all the produce of them is to be Consigned, and by them Onely are wee to be supplyed with money & Creditt & all necessaryes, which thing as it is taken and understood by the People here, gives them such disquiett, that did they not for wholly lay themselves at his Majesties Feet as they as they doe, and Rest assured of their Safety - from such a Yoake, under his Majesties future goodness, favour & protection, I should not - prevaile with many of them to stay to see the Event, or be Rightly Informed of the project, soe much are they Terrifyed with the bare Relation of it, that they would Immediat sell