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

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

1.

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.

2.

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

3.

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

4.

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

5.

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."

Billingate1 May 2d, 1754 Honored Sr.,

I have not got my Vessell fit for the Sea & should have gone if the Weather permitted. Our freinds here enquire much yr. Welfare & treat me wth. much Respect & Kindness. My Business has carried me to Truro which place pleases me better than Billingate, tho' they both look with a bad Countenance. I sincerly wish you well in your Business & Travells & hope to find you at home wn. I return in the Fall. But if I should not I shall write you the particulars of Voyage as soon as may be & I hope by the blessing of Providence to be able to write you of my good Success in the Business in wch. I am encouraged by all who see me.

To add no more Sr. I shall always Remember the perculiar Obligations which yr. Kindness & Tenderness have laid me under, & wch. as I am sensible off I have never yet faild to mention. Accept this as a pledge of that Gratitude which has posses'd the Heart of yr. Dutifull son

ROBERT-TREAT PAINE

RC ; addressed: "To Mr. Thomas Paine att Boston"; endorsed.

1.

Now Wellfleet, Mass.