New York September 8^th 1785 Sir [bond settlement] Among many certificates which have been [undecipherable] altered, the enclosed N°9.439 dated New York July 5. 1784 in favor of [undecipherable: Simon Frost?] for eighty Dolls on [undecipherable] from Nov. [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] I retain in my hands numbered 23.508 of the same date, in favor of [undecipherable] Seaton for one hundred & twenty Dols on [undecipherable] from [undecipherable] 1783, [appears to be?] [undecipherable: alter?] [undecipherable: counterfeited?] [undecipherable] the [Paper?] & the Printing — they were [undecipherable] [undecipherable: both] drawn in the same hand writing and appear [clearly?] from the[ir] [undecipherable: way?] handed to [undecipherable] [undecipherable: Mr.?] [undecipherable: Foster?] who [bought?] them from [undecipherable: Mr.?] [undecipherable: Nat.?] [undecipherable: Carter?] of Newberry [undecipherable: Port?] — [Endorsed?] on the backs as bought of John Welles of Walpole Oct. 16. 1784. On consultation with M^r [undecipherable] a member of [Congress?], I am advised to [attempt?] trace [undecipherable: their?] [undecipherable: whose?] hands these certificates [have?] passed and to find if possible the original [undecipherable: proprietor?]. To [undecipherable: detect?] so considerable an [undecipherable: imposition?] — which is the greater as the papers must have been stolen from my [Office?]; for this reason I have [undecipherable] the honor to address you, and am to request that you will be pleased to [assist?] [undecipherable] in [tracing?] out this [undecipherable: transaction?] as far as possible, my own honor as well as the public Interest being at stake, to have the whole laid open & [undecipherable] view — and I [undecipherable] to [undecipherable: demand] [undecipherable: wrong] [undecipherable: make] whatever you shall think [undecipherable: proper?] to charge for your trouble or lay out in this business, I will on discharge [undecipherable] [undecipherable: necessary?]. [Letter to M^r [undecipherable] Sept. 8. 1785 [undecipherable]] [undecipherable: Theoph—] [undecipherable: Parsons?] Esquire