Robert Carter writes to Liverpool merchant John Pemberton, April 11, 1729, reporting the arrival of several "Packetts" from the merchant, commenting on the poor market for tobacco, alerting Pemberton about a mistake that he has made in marking some hogheads that belong to another account, directing him to charge protested bills of exchange from the Rose slave sale to his personal account, and enclosing (not present) a bill of lading for 25 hogsheads of his own tobacco. On June 20th he drafts a post script to add a bill of lading (not present) for 3 hogsheads more.

     I received your Several Packets by the Rappahannock Captain Break
hill am Sorry the Sales both my own and your Cargoes Tobacco turns out
so poorly indeed we have not much better Encouragement . from any other
Port, Your Markets in former Years have rather Exceeded than fallen
short of others, I had not less at London than £7 per hogshead round how the
last Crop will rise I have not one Account as yet Except for a little fine
Tobacco out of York river which sold at 9 3/4 pence but that is no standard, I
shall think myself fairly off if my general Sales comes out at a Penny
less, Miserable is our Condition if we cant live by our Labour,

     I have Sent you one hogshead [tobacco mark: 1:9421:86:856:30:886 ] I must own to you I have
Committed a mistake in marking 3 or 4 more to the [tobacco mark] than I Should
it happened that I reckoned Purcells Debt belonged to the Rose Concern
and did not See my Error until I came to Overhaul the Papers, which
was after the Tobacco was marked and gone, This I must rectify out
of the [tobacco mark] Tobacco which I hope will make little difference,

     I tell the Freighters of the rose I have ordered you to pay to
them the 8 Protested bills you sent me Amounting to £49:13:0 3/4
to be charged to my private Account

     I send you a bills of Lading for 25 hogsheads of my own
Tobacco which I will believe to be very good they came from Plantations
that have always made Such. it has been a disappointment to
me not to have my Goods in the Rappahannock You will yet I hope meet with
Some Opportunity or other to send them by but if you do not I desire
you will Send me double the Quantity of every Sort as Early in the next
fall as ever you can and if these goods should be come away then I would
desire you to Send me the Same quantity over again in one of the Earliest
of your Ships,

     I Send you Copies of Some Accounts you had before to
Explain to you how I make £16:10:9 to be the right balance of those Accounts

     The hogshead of [tobacco mark] is the bill of Lading of the [tobacco mark] and in the bill of
Exchange [. . .] , You will please to Set this to rights, I am

     I have now Shipped 3 hogsheads of Tobacco more of the
[tobacco marks] you have herein a bill of Lading for it Them another
                                                            hhd

     I have little to say to you at Present only to desire
you will Comply with the Contents of above letter remaining