can get any necessaries to Support Life & some of us for want are obliged to Eat the seed of the Drips for bread & are Glad to have that So we Remain Your Most Dutiful Tenants: hereafter Mentioned

Duanesburgh, April the 5th, 1768

As followeth To wit

To James Duane Esq

TESTIMONIAL FOR PUBLIC SERVICES.

GENTLEMEN :

JAMAICA, QUEENS COUNTY, Dec. 8th, 1774.

We chearfully embrace this opportunity of publickly acknowledging in behalf of ourselves and our Constituents our most grateful sense of the arduous faithful and important Services you have rendered your Country in the present most alarming Conjunction of affairs.

Permit us to declare our hearty acquiescence in the prudent, just and well concerted measures adopted by you at the late General Congress held at Philadelphia, and to assure you that we will exert our utmost Endeavours to carry those measures into Execution.

We ardently pray that the Supreme Disposer of events, who is the Refuge of the Distressed and the assured Friend of the Benefactors of mankind, may signally reward and succeed your noble and generous Designs and efforts for the Redress of our Grievances and the Vindication of our injured Rights and Liberties.

We joyfully anticipate the pleasure of seeing your names and the names of your Worthy and respectable Brethren of the Congress enrolled in the annals of America and transmitted to the latest Generations as the Friends and Deliverers of your Country. Of beholding your Conduct and measures applauded and adopted by every City, Town and County in the British Colonies, and of hearing your just and well mer

ited Praises resounded from one End of this Extensive Con

tinent to the other.

Gentlemen;

With hearts penetrated with unutterable Gratitude and overflowing with benevolent wishes for every Blessing on you and your Posterity, we have the honour of being,

Your affectionate Countrymen and much obliged humble Servants-By order of the Committee of Correspondence in Jamaica.

Abraham Keteltas, Chairman. James Duane,

To Philip Livingston,

When I assure you that I have spent but one Night at home since the beginning of May, and that to comply with the Injunctions of my Countrymen I have been obliged to sacrifice all domestic Happiness and my private affairs-and if you add to the account the nature of the Business in which I am engaged, I hope you'l find some apology for my Inattention to you.

I have given Mr. Gaine an order on a Friend in New York for the money you ask and directed him to forward it with this letter. In what specie it is I know not, but if Continental Currency is of so little Esteem in your Neighborhood I hope at my Request he will exchange it should my friend pay him in that Currency. Here it can be exchanged for Gold. Indeed no body would Be safe In questioning its Validity and very few I believe are disposed to do it.

I can form no opinion when the Congress will rise. Their proceedings down to the 1st of August are published which

will be some gratification to your curiosity. I long impatiently to be released from an expensive and distressing affair, and hope soon to obtain my Quietus. My friends are importunate for my continuance in it while there is any Prospect of Reconciliation; but this is at present too distant and uncertain to Give me Encouragement, or keep up my spirits while I suffer a painful exclusion from the society of my Family and Friends.

Be pleased to present my respectful compliments to my worthy Friends the Judge and Colonel and their Ladies and believe me to be

Dr Cornelius

Your Affectionate brother

Philad. 9th Decem. 1775

JAS. DUANE.

JAMES DUANE AND SALT MAKING.

Instructions To Mr. Sim concerning the Experiments to be made for the State of New York and by order of Convention, on the Salt Lake and Springs in the County of Tryon:

I. You are to proceed to Albany and there to apply to the Honorable Major General Schuyler for his advice and for a letter to the Indians and Instruction to the Agent for Indian Affairs in order to induce the Indians to permit the proper Experiments to be made for ascertaining the Quality of the waters. For this purpose it will be proper to represent that the Ships of the Enemy have obstructed the navigation so as to render the importation of salt difficult; and that the carriage of it from the neighboring States rais'd the price so much that the Great Council of New York wish to supply the inhabitants on more moderate Terms; That it is believed that large quantities of salt may be made out of the waters or dug out of the Ground in the Country belonging

to the Indians: That the Great Council consider the Soil as the private Property of the Indian Nations and therefore request from their Brethren the five Nations or the Nation who may be more particularly concerned that Mr. Sim and the Persons who are sent to assist him may be permitted to make salt in their Country: That far from being any disadvantage it will be a benefit to the Indians, as the Great Council are willing to pay them a reasonable Rent for the use of the Springs and Ground as long as they shall find it necessary to carry on the salt works, for which purpose only they make this Request: That the Great Council are persuaded that as they are heartily disposed and are anxious to assist their Brethren the Five Nations, so they will now on their part be pleased with an opportunity of obliging them.

2. You are to apply to Mr. Ryckman of Albany to go with you to the Indian Country and also to Mr. Felmer of the German Flatts and to take any other assistants which you may think necessary for making proper experiments. At the German Flatts you can supply yourself with Provisions.

3. You are from time to time inform this Committee of your proceedings and endeavor by proper Experiments to ascertain the Quantity of salt which can be produced from a given quantity of Water, and the quantity of Salt which may be manufactured by a given number of hands, either from evaporation or by digging it out of the Earth, in a specified time. You are also to calculate the expense of each method of the manufacture and transportation to Albany on 1000 bushels of salt.

4. Whether the first attempt to establish this necessary manufacture will be at Oriske, or Oneida, or Onondaga, must depend on information and discoveries. The Committee of Albany and Tryon Counties will be ready to give you assistance and advice. You are furnished by us with £80 of the expenditure, of which you will keep and transmit regular

accounts, and when it is expended you will be supplied with more on proper application of the Committee.

JAMES DUANE,

Chairman of the Committee for establishing salt

maunfacture within this State.

Kingston, 5th March, 1777.

JAMES DUANE TO MITCHEll.

[There is no signature to this letter in the original, but internal evidence points to James Duane as the writer.]

Sir

ALBANY 9th February 1780.

It was not till Yesterday that I heard you quoted as the Author of a Report, that I had refused to take Continental Money and had sold my Effects for Gold & Silver. Every Man in public office owes it to his Country to give Satisfaction when the Integrity or even the prudence of his Conduct is called in Question. I only wish it had been thought right to have given me an opportunity of Explanation, before the Facts were made the Ground of Accusation.

You are among those who, if I am not greatly mistaken, will take pleasure in the Refutation of this Report, and of doing me Justice, as far as by your Means it has been spread abroad.

I have never injured any man or used my property to the oppression of An Individual.

I cannot therefore suppose myself the object of Resentment or Envy. I have served my Country faithfully in its greatest Distress, and think I have some Title to Esteem: at least, I have a Character too precious to be tarnished by the little Meaness implied in the Report, and therefore, while I am willing to believe your Motives were laudable, you will pardon my Surprize at your Credulity. I can say, with Truth, that few have been more sollicitous than myself to maintain the Credit of the paper Money nor more truly con