Tea Leaves / Being a Collection of Letters and Documents relating to / the shipment of Tea to the American Colonies in the year / 1773, by the East India Tea Company. (With an introduction, / notes, and biographical notices of the Boston Tea Party)

by Francis S. Drake

LETTER FROM Mr. ROTCH TO THE CONSIGNEES,

Referred to in their Letter of the 8^th of Jan^y., 1774.

Boston, 6^th Jan^y., 1774.

Gentlemen:

Annexed you have an account of the freight of 80 whole and 34 half chests of tea, shipped by the Hon'ble East India Company, on our ship Dartmouth, James Hall, master, from London, consigned to you, with the damages we have sustained by the said tea being kept in our ship by your not giving the necessary orders or directions about it, or by your not qualifying yourselves, or otherwise, for receiving the same.

The charge of demurrage of the ship, &c., may possibly at first sight appear extravagant, but when you consider the consequences of a ship regularly established in any trade, (which, in the present case will, I expect, eventually be of near two hundred guineas damage,) by the loss of freight from London in the spring, when you consider this, with the extra loss on a perishable commodity, as hers was of oil, the extra stowage of three-quarters of that cargo, and the difference of advance of the season, I cannot but think you must be reconciled to the propriety of the charges I have made.

I enclose you a copy of Cap^t. Cooke's and our cooper's requests, to support the charges of demurrage of the sloop Triton, and the wages and expences of those coopers, and beg to know by the bearer (who will wait your answer) whether you will or will not pay the amount of this account, say, £289 19s. 6d. lawful money.

I am, very respectfully,

Your assured friend,