[upper right corner, partially obscured by large ink blot:] [undecipherable: Instructions to] [undecipherable] 1793.30 To M^r Edward Price It having been determined to establish a trading house on the [undecipherable] Rivers in the State of Georgia, for the purpose of Supplying the Creek Indians with [undecipherable] goods [undecipherable] agreeably to an act of Congress, you are hereby appointed the Factor for the purpose of conducting this trade, in which the following instructions are to be observed. 1 The principle of this trade is to furnish the Indians with goods at such moderate prices that the sales may simply reimburse the United States the prime cost and [such?] charges, as [the?] cost & charges you will find in the Invoices which will be Delivered you by the [Purveyor?]— 2. The [undecipherable] of this trade is by supplying the Indians on such easy [terms?] by the [sincerity?] & [Goodwill?] of the United States [undecipherable] and [lay?] the foundation of a lasting peace— 3. To provide against the numerous accidents and [losses?] to [which?] this trade is [liable?], thirty three & a third percent shall be added to the price of the goods [undecipherable]; this is to be considered as a [general?] rule; you may find it necessary However to [depart?] from it by charging Some articles lower & Some higher, in [order?] the better to satisfy the Indians in the course of trade. But it will be important to fix early on the [proper?] prices, afterwards to [adhere?] to them Steadily — the Indians will then know what to depend upon and not have their [undecipherable: jealousy?] [excited?] by the [appearance?] of [unfair?] dealing which a [fluctuation?] of prices would be apt to [beget?]— 4. The goods are to be sold to the Indians [either?] for money or on [Peltry?]. [For the?] [latter?] the prices usually given by the [traders?] will be [your?] rule and in [the?] [former?] [undecipherable] of the Indians must govern. If the prices are so high that [they?] would be [undecipherable] on the [nearest?] [time?] to the market in Philadelphia, [undecipherable] this must be [counteracted?] by a variation to the prices of the goods. A list of rates at which [undecipherable] sold in Philadelphia will be [furnished?] by the [Purveyor?]. Philadelphia is the place to which returns in [money?] are to be made, as often as the quantity on hand and [conveyance?] shall [permit?], you will [apply?] to the [Purveyor?]— 5. James [Seagrove?] Esq^r Superintendent of Indian affairs in Georgia and his [assistant?] (whose [name?] & usual place of [residence?] is [undecipherable]) are to [acquaint?] the Indians of the [Establishment?] of this factory and the [benevolent?] principle on which it is to be conducted and [invite?] them to [commence?] [trading?] [undecipherable] at St. Marys. [If?] you will [undecipherable] [endeavour?] to give notice [thereof?] to the [superior?] [Indians?] and if [convenient?] to his [deputy?] they will endeavour to furnish an interpreter to the factory. One of the greatest difficulties to be [apprehended?] is [the?] [demand?] of goods on Credit, [either?] by the Indians [themselves?] or the Indian traders residing among them, but such [debts?] are wholly [inadvisable?]. [In?] [selling?] to the [natives?] with[out?] [credit?], [would?] [advance?] the [main?] principle, [for?] such traders would [probably?] [sell at?] their [accustomed?] high prices while the true object of the United States is to supply the Indians at moderate prices, and [with?] this [benevolent?] view of the United States you will on all occasions [endeavour?] to make the Indians [acquainted?] — [if?] [difficulties?] should occur in [carrying on?] the trade, by the Refusal of Credit to the Indians — and by the [total?] [undecipherable] of goods to the Indian traders, you will make [known?] [undecipherable] to the Department of War [setting?] [these?] facts with your opinion thereon and your views of the best mode of furnishing [supplies?] to the Indians to effect the [salutary?] objects indicated to you in these instructions. 7. The [Purveyor?] will [procure?] for you the necessary [information?] as to the mode of [saving?] & [packing?] [undecipherable] to ensure their getting to market in good order— 8. M^r Charles Anderson and [Bulleid?] are appointed to assist you in all the [undecipherable] of the factory, and you will [take?] the [earliest?] Opportunity to make them acquainted with the [undecipherable]. [That?] in case [of?] [interruption?] in your attention they may be able to [conduct?] it— 9. The [Commanding?] Officer of the troops [destined?] to [serve?] in the same [undecipherable] River will at all times [procure?] you with the necessary [guards?] — one [undecipherable] [Agent?] [when?] [necessary?] to [protect?] the Indian [trade?]— 10. Goods to the amount of one Thousand Dollars are annually to be [delivered?] to the Creek Nations [agreeably?] to [treaty?], the [Quantity?] you will now receive and the same is to be [separated?] from the goods [delivered?] for [trade?] and [delivered?] in the presence of M^r [Seagrove?] or one of his [Assistants?] pursuant to his order— 11. M^r [Seagrove?] has recommended [Coleraine?] as the place most [suitable?] for the [Establishment?] of the factory, and this is to be [accordingly?] [attempted?]. [However?] that some Buildings [erected?] [there?] by him will [undecipherable] to the [object?] and may be [occupied?] [accordingly?]. Any [repairs?] [requisite?] to render them [safe?] and [tolerably?] [convenient?] you [will?] [make?] [undecipherable]. [The?] [Commanding?] Officer of the troops will be [probably?] [able?] to [aid?] from [them?] the [military?] [mechanics?] & [allow?] and allowance not exceeding [undecipherable] of a Dollar a day may be made. For every [reasonable?] days work you will [furnish?] the [materials?] which must be [purchased?] for repairing the Store Houses and any other [buildings?] [as?] [necessary?] for the [accommodation?] of yourself, your [assistants?] & the troops [upon?] them [accordingly?] [Quarters?] of which a [separate?] [account?] [will?] [undecipherable]— [12?]. The [Hospital?] Stores for the troops are to be [inventoried?] [correctly?] and [issued?] on [returns?] signed by the Surgeon [comprising?] the names of the [sick?] for [all?] the [stores?] are [demanded?]— 13. You will keep a [regulation?] & frequent [correspondence?] [with?] the [Purveyor?] and in case [which?] [appears?] you proper [with?] the Department of War to [which?] as your [Dispatches?] for the [Purveyor?] may be [Directed?]— 14. You and your [assistants?] and [other?] [necessary?] [Employees?] are to be [debited?] as the Public [Expenses?] but you will keep an exact account thereof as well as what shall be drawn from the [Contractor?] as of what you shall [purchase?] and in both it is [expected?] that great [economy?] will be observed— 15. If the trade [should?] [deem?], [it?] the Factory may of course be [excused?] of some [particular?] [Indians?] [undecipherable] you will from time to time give the earliest notice thereof [undecipherable] [making?] your [allowance?] [to which?] must be the [source?] for further Supplies. 16. [It?] would have been extremely [desireable?] to have [carried?] on this [trade?] with the Indians without the use of [rum?] but from an [apprehension?], that the [habits?] of Indians in this respect could not be [counteracted?], [the?] [article?] has been [provided?], [stated?] however you are to use your [endeavours?] by [friendly?] [advice?] to the Indians to [persuade?] them to let it alone, [nothing?] can be [so?] [hazardous?] to this [undecipherable]. If you find that Rum must be [sold?] [by?] [them?], [undecipherable] it in such [small?] [quantities?] as [may?] [just?] [suffice?] and then [after?] [furnishing?] [warning?] [these?] [inducements?] [be?] [the?] [best?] for which you will give them this reason — that while [wishing?] you desire them to remain sober that they [conceive?] what they do, and [satisfied?] that this trade is perfectly fair and honest, when they are [fully?] [undecipherable] such [Quantities?] as they [desire?] to carry with them and the [stocks?] [which?] [allow?] for [balances?] [undecipherable] may be [delivered?]— 17. The forms of [accounts?] and returns you are to render will be [furnished?] by the [Comptroller?] of the Treasury; but in default of this [timely?] [arrival?] your [knowledge?] of accounts will enable you to fix on a mode that cannot fail of being [satisfactory?] [until?] you can [receive?] [this?]— 18. [I?] close these instructions with [suggesting?] to you the [necessity?] of kind and [friendly?] treatment of the Indians [undecipherable] and of perfect candour in all your dealings with them, [Patience?] on your [part?] will be [requisite?] and [Caution?] when any of them are drunk, to avoid [undecipherable] [endeavours?] with the [influential?] men among them to draw them off from [undecipherable] as [soon?] as their [traffic?] is over and [better?] than you may [contrive?] as above [suggested?] to make but [small?] [offer?] of [rum?]—