Robert Carter writes to his old friend, Captain Benjamin Graves, July 29, 1723, whose ship was anchored in one of the colony's rivers, with general news. He states that the news from England confirms the amendment to the tobacco bill in Parliament will prohibit the importation of stemmed tobacco into England, and suggests that if English merchants could only be adept as Scots in avoiding dutys, they would maintain the trade. He adds that there is wet weather that may, should it continue, help the planters by limiting the crop. He wishes his friend health and success, and hopes he will write when he can. In a post script, he requests Graves bring him in a cauldron of coal on his next voyage.

     I hope this will find You in health as I thank
God It leaves me, This Encloses to You a Second bill of exchange
of Gwain Thacker on Mr. Evans payable to Your Brother
for Five pound Nine shillings & three pence which I believe
was the Desire of Your Sending It to Me,

     I have begun Saving the Plank, for the Carter
According to the directions You left wth me

     I do not Yet hear whether You had the luck to Join the James
River Ships,

     Hopkins is arrived My Letters are not come up,
Several illegible Letters at Gloucester Court on Thursday last, confirm the Re=
=port, we had, that the Scotch had got a clause into the Tobacco Act
for a Prohibition of the Importation of all stemmed Tobacco how
pleasing this is to us here You may Easily Imagine, We
Are now only to look for our Mercys from heaven, our fellow
Subjects It seems have none for us, If the English merchants
can be but as Arch in finding out ways of fraud as the North=
=Brittains are, they will be able to keep way with them, but
We that are the Planters, are tied down to the full payment of
the duties I will not pretend to forsee the consequences of
this fatal Streak, It looks like a very black cloud at present

     The heavens have been Somewhat propicious to us of
late, The General Report of the Country is that Tobacco is but Mean
We have now a very wet spell over us, If it does but Continue
three or four days longer It may be a help to Us, Since the
Parliament has been so severe We have little reason to Expect
[the] Ministry will show any Countenace to Our Stint Act