[The first image is a printed "Illegible Text" placeholder card noting that some or all pages of this file are wholly or in part illegible.] [Swan — 15 June 1797] [The Sec War] Sir — We arrived here the 5 Inst and have been much engaged since in disposing our [undecipherable] there for [undecipherable] and [filling?] our Indian goods underway to Augusta. Our [journey?] will be attended with Considerable expense in have between 6 & 700 bushels [of?] salt on hand a heavy article of transportation. The Indians appeared much dissatisfied [about?] [removing?] the [undecipherable] from [undecipherable] means of the principal Chiefs of [undecipherable] towns have given us [undecipherable] Talks on the Subject. The [undecipherable] have said [the/this?] [undecipherable] was beyond our expectations we had not goods Sufficient suitable for the trade [undecipherable] was expected in the nation we had [removed?] on I thank they would have [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of goods to give them due bills for balances. The [undecipherable] attended with [undecipherable]. They got off their bills for goods at [undecipherable] [selling?] at an exorbitant [price?] which [undecipherable] and them [undecipherable] [made?] the necessity of advancing the [undecipherable] having more to the [Indians?] [undecipherable] one for money [undecipherable] from the [unloading?] of the boat [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] gone [undecipherable] not [to?] [Indian?] [undecipherable] of [the?] [first?] [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] [a few days?] [demanded?] about [undecipherable] [the?] [Indians?] [the?] [first?] [undecipherable] had [undecipherable] goods about 2000 [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] same [undecipherable] [the?] [allowed?] to have [undecipherable] from them to attend to [them?] [receiving?] other [undecipherable] for debt. There is very [undecipherable] [daily?] [undecipherable] [you are having?] some [Est 18?] [for years?] [from last?] to [that?] [found?] the [Indian?] debt [undecipherable] which the Indians [undecipherable] on the [farm?] [asking?] some [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Think well [be?] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] to the 4[00?] [undecipherable] [from mid?] [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] of general [undecipherable] beyond to add to [undecipherable] and I am [undecipherable] at [the?] [4th?] looking to [assist?] Indians [undecipherable] they [needed?] to [likely?] to [devote?] [undecipherable] many [undecipherable] from [to?] [make?] a [little?] [undecipherable] [their?] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [increased?] [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] [expressions?] of [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] they [have seen?] [heard in?] the [representations?] of [their?] [intentions?]. I [send you the?] [duty?] of goods [arriving?] [to?] Augusta a [dearness?] that must [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] that [Rights?] [undecipherable] [and?] [undecipherable] in some [undecipherable] [get?] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [having?] [undecipherable] [affair's?] [office?] or [whatever?] in purport is good to the [first?] [undecipherable] [totally?] [undecipherable] that [actually?] goods for [what?] [these?] [estimates/advances?] I [have?] [finally?] [account?] as [being/giving?] [from/for?] Statements of the actual [provisions?] for 179[?] I am [and?] [prepared?] of the [undecipherable] [and?] for the territory of [stating?] the [first?] [and?] [stopping?] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [is?] the way that I should [certainly?] for [these all?] of [undecipherable] [undecipherable] by no [just?] returns to the true [Indians?] from [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [Indian?] trading [undecipherable] from [undecipherable] that [Indian?] [undecipherable] referring to [have?] [had?] and an [undecipherable] that [Indian?] [undecipherable] given [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of the [Indian?] trading in [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] [undecipherable] we sold to M^r Seagrove at first cost for drafts on the Treasury I sent a man to Augustine to try to sell them he says he was offered twenty dollars ℗head for eighty of them which was near 100 ℗Cent profit but the bargain was broke off by a report of Gen. Clarke [embodying?] the frontier people of Georgia. I am informed beef is a very high price at New Providence about a day or two's sail from St. Marys would not sell which would weigh a thousand pounds or [upwards?] answer to Ship to the Northern States when the first cost was only twelve dollars — I am Sir very respectfully Y^r most Ob^t Ser^t The Indians have been so much in the habit of receiving rum at the several trading posts that they have determined not to do without it notwithstanding every representation of its bad [undecipherable] they can make — if you have it not they [insist?] on getting it at other places. Clothes they cannot but [little?] provisions they buy and rum [seems?] to be a [Staple?] —