5

Newbern Febry 20th 1796

Dear Sir
I received your favor by Mr. Pitchford & am
sorry your request could not be fully complyed with
there being not one Hhd of cuntry Rum or a bag of
Coffee to be got in town. I send you by him one
Bbl of good sugar tho high. every kind of
produce being verry scarce & dear. the Tobacca sold for
forty five shillings pr hundred. The scarcity of Northward
Rum is owing to our cropps being destroyed by the storme
there not being encouragement for the Yankees to cum
as hertofore. Our still Houses all being stoped for the
want of Molasses. The scarcity and Demand of Westingea produce in the
Islands have made them too high to import til the new
cropps come in. which is about begining. the present
prices of in Kingston Jamaica is Rum one Dollar coffee Eighteen
Dollars pr. hundred & sugar in proportion. So that our Vessels
have brought nothing but cash. We have now a number
of Vessels absent & I hope they will be in time for the
new cropps.

Mrs. Daves & Polly Joynes me in offering
our best respects to Mrs. Bennehan & Miss
Beckey. pleas to accept the same your
self and believe me to be
Dear Sir
Yours. Verry sincerely
John Daves

PS
Inclosed is the bill which
I bught the sugar by : as
the tobacca wase Mr. Pitchfords
and had no occation to make use
of any of the money I have
only mentioned the price it
sold for Yours JD