Address: Cap^tn Matt^w Flinders, R.N.
                  at M^r Standert's
                        N^o 3
                Clifford's Inn
(Packet)           London

Annotation:
Wiles
May 15, 1813
      Ans^d June 2

                        [illegible] Mount, Jamaica
                                19^th March, 1813

My Dear friend
      I have received your letter of the 6^th of Janr^y
which in the whole has given me infinite pleasure – the
sentiments expreƒsed in that letter are exactly such as I
might have expected of you, by them, I at once recog-
-nize my old and most valued friend, Flinders.
      Your situation in life and my own are widley [sic] different,
you poƒseƒs a certain unencumbered income, — I hold a good
deal of property, such as it is, which like most West
India property, is greatly in debt – so that I am very
poor. When Holywell (a coffee Plantation I so named) was
yet in its infancy, and before a large sum of money had
been expended in its culture, I was offered Ten thousand
pounds for it. – and for several years afterwards my pros-
-pects were very fair indeed. I expected to acquire a hand-
-some competence for myself, and enough to spare for my
near relations and a friend or two whom I dearly love.
My family, you know, are all poor, but at the same time,
very worthy people. My golden dreams have now com-
-pletely vanished; the failure of crops by bad weather
and other causes, – the depreciation for more than two
years in the price of coffee, which absolutely brought
the planter in debt, – bad debts &c &c have revised my
fair prospects – however I have [illegible] is a
great consolation, and I believe I can still pay my debts,
and have a small [illegible] of fortune left. –
      The liberties of Europe now stand a fair chance of being
once more firmly re-established, – We have intelligence