To Thomas Jefferson from Burrill Carnes, [ca. 9 October 1787]
From Burrill Carnes
[Nantes, ca. 9 Oct. 1787.] In answer to TJ’s inquiry of the 5th, he has called upon the twelve individuals and firms in the appended list, and gives a state of their sales of tobacco to the farmers-general: eight of them sold lots ranging in size from 2 to 203 hogsheads, at prices ranging from 28₶ for a lot of 3 hogsheads to 34₶ for a lot of 203 hogsheads, all paid 15 per cent tare, three lots were in American vessels, and five in French; four of the merchants could not be found, but they had sold a total of 35 hogsheads. “There is Tobacco now for sale here, but the farmers will not purchase at the fix’d prices.” Asks for information about the prospects of war.
RC (DLC); 2 p.; endorsed; without date which has been assigned from internal evidence and an entry in SJL of a letter of Carnes, “no date,” which was received on 12 Oct. 1787.