Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 1

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To Isaac Freeman and Henry Leddel

RTP Freeman, Isaac Leddel, Henry

Cadiz Novr. 18 1753 Gentlemen,

I have wrote you from this place, by Capt. Aston who sailed for Boston Eight days past, in wch. I inform'd you of the great difficulty I met with in delivering my Staves, since wch. Time I have got on board the chief of my salt (tho the Staves are not all deliverd yet) so that in a few days nothing will detain me, but the Wine & Raisons from205Malago, they not being to be had here. Mr. Pickreen wrote for them by the first Post, after I had got Prattick1 in the place, but his first Letter miscarried (a very uncommon accident) Which occasioned a delay in the shipping them. Tis near a fortnight we have heard the Vessell has sailed for this place in wch. they are, but the Winds have been almost continually to the northward, but in all probality She must arrive Speedily. I have done all in my power to facilitate Business here, but have had the Sorrow to see it delay'd.2 The Neglect in Recieving the Staves has occasioned many hard Words between the Buyer & the Sellers, but to no great purpose. The Buyer lays the fault to the Boatman, & the Boatman is not to be found & so one day has pass'd away after another in a most unsufferable manner, But I hope not to count many more Idle days before I sail. At present I have mett with no Accident, & hope for the same good fortune home, we have fitted up the Mainsail in such a manner that I believe it will stand a good argument on a Winter's Coast. So Wishing the Sloop and her Cargo well home I remain yr. much obliged humble Servt.,

ROBERT TREAT PAINE

LbC ; addressed: "To Messrs. Isaac Freeman & Henry Leddel Merchts. in Boston."

Pratique.

RTP arrived in Cadiz on Oct. 11 and did not sail from there until Dec. 5. The delay enabled him to see much of the town and the surrounding area. His diary indicates that he dined out, went to the theater, visited churches and convents, traveled to the town of Xeres, and took lessons in the Spanish language. His diary entry of Dec. 5 contains the following description of Cadiz: "The City of Cadiz is all built of Stone and very close, being surrounded by a very high Wall and very strong Fortifications at the South Side. It stands on a Point of Land that runs out into the Sea, so that you may see almost as soon as the Land. Except the high hills of Granade, it is exceeding Populous, there being 100,000 Souls inhabiting it, among which are of all Nations, and a vast Numbers of Beggars. Here are very few Protestant, being only a few Merchants who reside here for the sake of Business. The City is Adorn'd with many Sumptuous Buildings the Most Elegant of which is a New Church which has been building 30 years and not a tenth part done. It is all of Curious Marble and a most Stupendous Pile of Building. The Market of this City is well Stock'd with Fish which is a great Support to the Numberless Poor, Provisions and Roots Sawse &c. are dear beyond all Account. They have no good Water in the City (the chief of it being Made Land) but are Supply'd with choice, from the Port of St. Mary's on the other side the Bay, tho' the Common People use a great deal of Rain Water. Here are no Gardens nor any place of Cool Retirment, which renders it exceeding unpleasant tho' they are favoured with the Sea Breeze in the Summer which render the place cooler than the Country. The Streets are exceeding Narrow and monstrously Nasty and is every way as Unpleasant a place as I can conceive off. This being a Place of no Manufacture all sorts of Goods are exceeding dear. The Country over the Bay is pleasant, being an open Champain Country without any Fences or obstructions of Travailing more than monstrous bad Roads with out any Repair. At the head of the Bay, call'd the Carracas are built the Spanish Men of War, and the galeons206are there laid up, there are always vast Numbers of ships here it being the Seat of the West India Trade. There are no Amusements in the City except a Theatre where they act their Comedys every Night at the price of about 2 1/2 pence sterling and dull enough they are. They ride out at the Land Gate in Winter for the Benefit of the Sun, but are obliged to return by sun down or be shut out of the City, the Gates being constantly shut by dark. Here is a fine Mole, commodious for Boats and Small Craft to land almost Any Weather."

To Henry Kemp and William Pickern

RTP Kemp, Henry Pickern, William

Boston Feby. 26. 1754 Gentlemen,

The Kindness & Generosity wth. wch. you Entertaind me While at Cadiz Emboldens me to write to you from my Native Country presenting my Acknowledgements of yr. many favours. I doubt not tho' Im a Stranger to you, but you'll rejoice to hear of my Safe Arrival Especially After So terrible a Passage, the perticulars of wch. would take me a Quire of Paper to Relate.1 I was 57 days at Sea & 30 of them on our Coast in the Most Tatter'd Condition imaginable, despairing of ever arriving to Any port, but by the goodness of Providence I am well home, where I found my Owners Very Uneasy by Reason of the Reapeated Reports of one J-n Ca-y2 Who had Spread abroad that I was gone ashore in Cales to learn Spanish & had hawld up my Vessell & determind not to leave the Country till I had learnd the Language & a variety of other Reports eaqually Scurrilous & false, but unlucky for him My Character was too well establis'd to Suffer much from the Calumny of his Tongue & while he thought to do me a Damage he Reflected Disgrace on himself, but he took care to say nothing abt. the Geese.3 The Bearer of this Letter Capt. Prince4 is an Establis'd Commr. among us who I have strongly Recommended an Address to yr. house hoping thereby to express my Gratitude in some faint degree. I fear it will never answer me to come that way again but that's no Reason I should ever forget you. At present I am Bound to Greenland to fight the Great Leviathan, nothing but such Rugged Undertaking being Sutable to the Gigantic Constitution of my person?.5 Present my Complements & Respects to the Lady yr. Sister Whose Agreable Conversation made even Cales delightfull. Please to give my Service to the Young Gentlemen that Live wth. you not forgetting Don Pedro, & assure your Selves that while I live I shall ever Respect & esteem & as far as able Serve those Gentlemen that honour me wth. so much Respect & Kindness as you have conferr'd upon yr. most obedient & very humble Servt.,

ROBERT-TREAT PAINE

207

LbC ; addressed: "To Messr. Henry & William Pickereen"; "To Messrs Kemp & Pickern Merchts. in Cadiz Pr. favr. Capt. Prince."

RTP noted in his diary: "January 30th. 1754. In the Evening we came to anchor within the Gurnet a point at the north side of the entrance to Plymouth Harbor, Mass. after a tedious and anxious passage of fifty six days from the Bay of Cadiz, having been 23 days beating and suffering on the Coast without any Main Sail and in every Respect tattered and torn in such a manner that nothing but the peculiar goodness of that powerfull Providence that can save without as well as with means, has brought us safe hitherto, to whose name be ascrib'd all Praise." RTP's marine journal contains a detailed account of the voyage and is illustrated with drawings of the ship, flying fish, etc.

Possibly the Capt. Cawley of Salem with whom RTP breakfasted at Cadiz on Oct. 14, 1753 (RTP, Diary).

Possibly the reference is to loose women. See OED, under "Goose," 3.

Perhaps the Capt. Job Prince of Boston (d. 1790), who later became a merchant in his hometown (Thwing Index).

According to his diary, RTP completed unloading the Hannah and dismissed her crew on Feb. 6, and on Feb. 21, 1754, determined to go ''on a Voyage a Whaling to Greenland."