I have been long silent because ashamed to write. my whole crop of flour has been lying in the mill ever since harvest1 for want of transportn. there has been but 3. tides in our river since harvest. Jefferson agreed with a mr Lane to attend with 3. boats at the first tide. but happening to be in Bedford at the 1st & 2d Lane disappd in both,2 and he failed again at the 3d so that we lost the 1st trip of that. Jefferson was able on the return of the boats to get off 100. barrels of the crop with 50. barrels mill rent. we have still 250. to go & ready. and hope the river will now keep up.3 altho I know that what is gone is by no means sfft to pay up the balance against me, yet I had here some claims so pressing that I was obliged to draw on you yesterday in favr of Raphael for 200. D & Jas Leitch for 64.50.4 I have other very pressing calls, but will endeavor5 to hold back as long as I can, and try in the mean time to get down more of my flour. my chance however6 is the worse as Jefferson is now absent in Bedford, and I can do little myself

Having been a month too late in my last blanks for discount, I now send new ones in sufficient advance of the period at which they will be wanting.   affectionately yours