Translation
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Show/hide Download PDF Brother Livingston, New York, March 7, 1699/1700..
[I] have received yours of February 6. I am sorry [my] sister was in bad health. I hope she is now perfectly well again. I intended to reply to you via the man who brought your letter down, but [he] stayed here. At Boston a royal ship arrived expressly for taking Kidd and the other pirates with their effects to England, which left again last week already and is now on its way to England. My Lord writes me in these words in his letter dated February 5, ’99:1) “The man off war, which arrived last Saturday from England brought me no private letters but one. I have the honour off a letter from His Maj.ty and severall from the ministres which bring me orders about the sending home the pirats and their effects, and other matters, but I have not the least syllable off account from the agent or any body else about our pay and subsistence.” From which you can see how bad things are with the payments for the companies, and how much we are at a loss what to do about it. On the 19th of next month our debentures will become due. And how to pay for those, I don’t know. No customs are coming in but for Colonel De Payster2), Barbarie, Minville, and a little bit for De Lancey, and they put it on the warrants they have from you, so that I do not have a single stuiver in my hands. And [I] have been forced to use some of the tax-money, but where I will get money to refund it I don’t know, nor how I will satisfy Robert Alleson when the debenture is due. In summary: not a single stuiver to buy bread or grain for brewing. I intended to give up victualing, but was advised to continue till November or when My Lord comes here, lest the money which is expected be employed for victualing the soldiers and I then wait even longer. I hear Mr. Ffoster has now decided again to stay and to talk with you about getting a reduction in rent. I have told Jan Geddis that what he owes me would be debited by me to his account. He says you now remain £30.-in his debt and asked me to advance him something on your account, which I refused. There’s a barque here lying ready to sail to England shortly. I’m expecting you here shortly in order to take counsel together on how we will settle with my brother, Mr. Crumlun3), and Alleson. Therefore, [I] will break off and commend you together with your family to God and remain Your Obliging Brother and Servant, S. v. Cortlandt.
I would like you to send down the account of excises up to now so that I can break into that.
Notes: 1) The next paragraph is entirely in English. I have transcribed it literally. 2) Mostly spelled “De Peystr” in Robert Livingston’s letters. 3) = possibly Crommelin.
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