Portland May^th 12^th Sept^r 1788 Sir I wrote you on the 4^th Inst and the same day sailed for this place and had two & half days passage. I find M^r Hares papers to be in lobby, from this theenite flenched on every parameter by the old paper of the old regiment, and shall not be able to force my way through them under a number of days: if my dounctions and provisions holds out, I hope however to accomplish it in about six or eight more. I have about 400 loose vouchers to examine, and from what I can conjecture M^r Hare will fall about 200 dollars in arears; this he says he cannot pay in, untill his heir arrives from the W^est Indies in Autamn. he wishes to pay it in Boston to avoid the expence of sending money by land to New York. I believe I shall advise him to purchase a bill of exchange in Boston for the Amount and send them enclosed to you whenever he is ready to pay it, will not that be the best way? — I shall write you more particularly in my next. W^m Caleb Swan Joseph Howell Esq^r