DOCUMENTARY 393
your wives to mend them. However, I believe I have plenty. Had I taken ten $ worth of knives they would have answered 50. As for hats, I have lost several. If you hear of anybody that is going to Tarpolin Cove tell them to ask for my hats as they have no doubt gone there.
P. S. I hope you have more letters on the way. This will be at Saybrook about June or July. It will not be of use for you to write around the Cape. I hope not after you receive this for I shall make no promises to come another voyage to get the letters that you wrote this. Should we fill up on Jappan perhaps we might return round the East Cape. It would make our passage three months shorter but I expect it is more dan- gerous passing that way without arms and we have none. We were obliged to fire a rope-yarn gun at the celebration of Independence.
When you have done reading this letter you will see where there is no blackguard there is blots. 12 o'clock at night. So I remain E. Wright.
Addressed to
Mr. Samuel Wright, of Saybrook in
Connecticut. Rec'd 23d May, 1824.
VI.
Off Nantucket Bar, Wednesday, Aug. 28, A. D. 1822. Dear Brother:
After a short absence from you I take this opportunity to write a few lines to you which will inform you that J am well and hope this will find you and yours enjoying the same great and good blessing.
Since I have been on salt water I have been very hearty the most of the time. We had a good run from Saybrook. We came over the bar Saturday at five o'clock P. M. and anchored off Nantucket bar Sunday morn, being 16 hours run. We lie about four miles off. A boat's crew go on shore almost
