JB/539/090/001

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Petersburg 3d Octr 1780

Hon:d Sir

I rece'd a Letter by the Last Post from a Mr Barstow a Capital
Merchant of Dantzic, with whom I contracted a friendship during my Stay at that
Place. He informs me of the Death of the late English Resident or rather Commissary there
and knowing at the same time the attention which I gave to the Commerce & general
state of that Republic during the time I passed there, He proposes to me
applying to succeed in that Appointment myself, giving me hopes at the same
time that I sho'd not find so much difficulty in the obtaining it, owing
I suppose to it's not being considered as very desirable on account of the
small profits attending it.

Dantzic you know I suppose Sir used to yield a considerable part of
our Naval Stores, particularly its Plank has always been esteem'd
above all other foreign Timber at present we receive a great deal of
such articles from thence, and notwithstanding the oppression of its
powerful Neighbour Its Commerce appears to be sprouting out again
under the Cover of its Neutrality.

With respect to the place of English Commissary there, I do flatter myself
that the knowledge I have of Naval Concerns, Shipbuilding & Marine
Oeconomy in general may be considered as qualifying me in a particular
manner for such an Office. The Connections I have made in Poland in
my late Tour are such as might be turned to some considerable account.
I could by these means procure to the Merchants a Trade of Ships Timber
Oak Plank and even Masts thro' a Channel not yet opened, from a
Part of Poland which they have not yet explored and which promises
to yield Naval Stores of several kinds. To draw the Exports of these
Articles to England, instead of permitting them to go to the Supply of our
foreign Neighbours cannot but at this time be highly desirable.
I have an Idea also with respect to the making or composing Masts —
which if it be approved of would be the means of procuring them from
thence in great abundance and at a much cheaper rate. as soon as I
can find leisure I mean to draw up a paper on the subject in which
I trust I shall be able to shew by the principle of Mechanics the advantage
in point of strength as well as oeconomy of this method over those in
present practice. Think not, Sir, that if you sho'd be able to procure me
this place but what I shall still pursue my grand object, the study of the

Identifier: | JB/539/090/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 539.
Date_1	1780-10-03	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	539	Main Headings
Folio number	090	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	Correspondence	Number of Pages
Recto/Verso		Page Numbering
Penner	Samuel Bentham	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number
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