Capt. Lawrence Sanford, a shipmaster who had been sailing out of Alexandria for the past six years, currently commanded the brig Swift of Alexandria owned by Joseph Thompson & Co. (Sanford’s deposition, 19 Oct. 1779, naval office description begins “Naval Office on the Potomac.” William and Mary Quarterly, 2d ser., 2 (1922): 292–95. description ends , 294–95; ship lists for South Potomac Naval District, P.R.O., C.O.5/1450, ff. 39–41, and C.O.5/1349, f. 207). He had taken a shipment of fish to the West Indies for GW during the previous year and today was arranging to take some herring jointly owned by GW and Matthew Campbell to Jamaica for sale (GW to Sanford, 26 Sept. 1769, DLC:GW). On 26 Sept. GW instructed Sanford by letter to bring him some West Indian goods on the return voyage: a hogshead of rum, a “Barrel of good Spirits,” 200 pounds of coffee, 200 pounds of sugar, and 100 or 200 oranges “if to be had good.” Those items were to be paid for out of GW’s share of the herring sales, his balance to be rendered in cash (DLC:GW). The Swift returned with GW’s goods a few months later, but GW received no cash balance, because the cost of his goods, £50 10s. 1d., exceeded his eventual proceeds from the deal, £40 15s. 9d. (Robert McMickan to GW, 7 Dec. 1770, MiU-C: Haskell Collection; Robert McMickan & Co.’s account with GW, 6 Dec. 1770–16 Feb. 1771, ViMtvL).