ing, the
substance of what passed between us. The articles of your produce wanted
with us are brandies, wines, oil, fruits, and manufactured silks:
those with which we can furnish you are indigo, potash, tobacco, flour,
salt-fish, furs and peltries, ships and materials for building them.
The supply of tobacco, particularly, being in the hands of government
solely, appeared to me to offer an article for beginning immediately the
experiment of direct commerce. That of the first quality can be had at
first hand only from James river in Virginia; those of the second and
third from the same place, and from Baltimore in Maryland. The first
quality is delivered in the ports of France at thirty-eight livres
the quintal, the second at thirty-six livres, the third at thirty-four
livres, weight and money of France, by individuals generally. I send you
the copy of a large contract, wherein the three qualities are averaged
at thirty-six livres. They may be delivered at Nice for those prices.
Indeed, it is my opinion, that by making shipments of your own produce
to those places, and buying the tobaccos on the spot, they may be had
more advantageously. In this case, it would be expedient that merchants
of Nice, Turin, and America, should form a joint concern for conducting
the business in the two countries. Monsieur Tallon desired me to point
out proper persons in America who might be addressed for this purpose.
The house of the most extensive reputation, concerned in the tobacco
trade, and on the firmest funds, is that of Messrs. Ross and Pleasants
at Richmond, in Virginia. If it should be concluded on your part to make
any attempt of this kind, and to address yourselves to these gentlemen,
or any others, it would be best to write them your ideas, and receive
theirs, before you make either purchases or shipments. A more hasty
conduct might occasion loss, and retard, instead of encouraging, the
establishment of this commerce. I would undertake to write, at the same
time, to these or any other merchants whom you should prefer, in order
to dispose them favorably, and as disinterestedly as possible, for the
encouragement of this essay. I must observe to you, that our vessels are
fearful of coming into the Mediterranean on account of the Algerines:
and that if you should freight vessels, those of the French will be most
advantageous for you, because received into our ports without paying
any duties on some of those articles, and lighter tha