Swan, James (1754-1830) to Henry Knox

[draft]
Jas. Swan
My dear Sir Rouen 29th. March 1788.
Enclosed I send you a copy of mine of the 17 Ulto. Since then I have nothing to write you about, but to mention the manner I spend my time & judging that you will be anxious to hear of my agreeable situation, which would [realy] be so were my family with me. Upon my first arriving here, & for a week after, I was employed constantly in writing. Having made some visits - I cast my thots on visiting the Manufactures - but was rejected, without a recommendation from some person well known. I thot it best to go to the fountain & not trouble the merchants to whom I was recommended, & wrote to Mr. Mistral, the Intendant General of the Marine in Normandy, to [inserted: whom] I was recommended by Marqs. Vandeuil, and he wrote to the Commy. of Marine here, who at once made me known to the Trade of Manufactures - From both I have recd. great attention, & from the public officers also. I have pointed [inserted: out] demonstratively, those things which prevent the Manufrs. here from selling in America, and whenever orders for Goods are sent, or a Trade with this Province is opened I presume they'l [sic] be attended to. What renders me more acceptable, & more attended to. I have refused, tho' frequently asked, to give the name of one House in America who may safely be trusted, and I decline all offers of business myself. The reason why the French in this Quarter, have not been able to sell their Manufrs. as low as the English, I saw in a moment, there is not that invention & care used as in Great Britain, to save labour. People being plenty they continue to employ them, because they have done it for a long time. Two instances need only be mentioned [inserted: in] which I have had influence [inserted: which I saw] at [inserted: a] Mr. Quarnell's printing linen [marrill] factory ay Neratol, about 3 miles from this. At the Callendar or glaring mill, four men were labouring hard, at turning the rollers, which I proposed to affect by one boy, who being placed [2] placed in the inner side of a large wheel, in which there must be steps. his attempting to march up the steps will turn the wheel & operate with more ease & go constantly. Another eight men with eight battons or light mauling sticks were [strikeout] frapping wet linen to bleach it. I proposed on the same water where they were at work, to erect a small wheel which would turn a roller that should have as many pins as battons & by turning round the pins would raise the mauls & operate exactly as the eight men. These were instantly approved of & the alteration is now making, by which ten mens wages are saved. By such things with others I have made myself very acceptable to the people, who by the way without recommendations, know no body - and I am little at home, & indeed without I chuse need never be. By mixing with the first people, I have two advantages - their example & acquaintance - & the saving money - added to which , not a little one - that of having the previous connaisance, when Mrs. S. arrives. The Marqs. la Fayette is made lately, one of the Marine Council. He wrote me about a week ago a very polite letter, requesting to whom & where he might send me letters of introduction. I mentioned two or three, not that I am in want of more acquaintance, but to have the respect of the Marqu. Friendship, who is greatly esteemed in this Kingdom. He writes me that the Memorial I wrote upon the French & American trade, which Mr. De le Tombe translated, is forever gone from him, as the Minister who had it is now out of office. I have written to Mr. de le Tombe for another, or to Mr. La Prest who has one. To have it printed here would give me much respect thro' every part & from every rank, and I flatter myself that at this moment it might be of more use than at any other, as the Merchants & Manufacturers want to find a market for their goods, which are not accumulating upon [3] upon their hands by the destructive Treaty with England, & the plan I have proposed, would send their Mercht., and maintain a perfect safety from loss. Last night I return'd from Louviers, with Mr. Fontaigney [inserted: who [strikeout]] one of the first houses in this place, from visiting the Manufactures there. It is truly astonishing the magnitude of them. The one in which he is singly concerned, maintains three thousand people constantly. I was recommended to him. He proposes in a week hence carrying me to the Duke & Boulions, on Boullies, about 4 leagues from Louviers, and I am promised a letter to the Marquis Conflan, about one league from Louviers. In that place, as there is a good master a good society, & being much in the Country, I believe I shall stay, instead of going to Angoville in the neighbourhood of Havre, indeed it is but a day & a half past from Havre, & but [struck: half] a day from Paris. Wherever I be, & in whatever situation, if I cannot be acquainted with the first in the place, I make it a rule not to be acquainted at all. As I have said before, I find it much more agreeable & cheaper, and besides, is supporting a character & rank I maintained at home, & shall again after my return disencumbered from the shakles & perplexities of deranged business & a want of money, I feel my self collected, and quite another person, than almost you have ever seen me, [strikeout] [inserted: from] which character, nothing shall ever urge me to deviate.
Again permit me to ease a little, an over burthen'd heart, by declaring with how much affection & gratitude I am possessed towards you & your family. Present me with the best respects that can opperate in the heart or the head, to your good Lady. Remember me with much attachment to your brother, & say those things in my behalf which shall be most acceptable to Miss Lucy & your little ones. Ever I remain yours wholly
Jam. Swan
(Turn)

I recd. about a month ago a Letter from Mrs S mentioning [Jeffrey's] conduct. When I say at this time that I shall ever seek an opportunity to be revenged or to return his kindness, I mean [inserted: it] not to be understood, as the result of passion. I am cool and feel the sentiment too powerfull to cease operating on me until I am glutted. with a full gratification, or return of the obligation he has conferred upon me. He might have trusted to a Jackson and he did not chuse to trust a Hichborn. My engagt. to return shall not be an excuse to [illegible] him, and if the peace of a thousand old women is hazarded in the [event], it shall not in the least cool my design. Oh my heart! My dear family - thus abused - thus trampled upon by the dirty clerk of a bankrupt house, whom in justice I owe not £1000! It is too much.

[docket]
James Swan 29 March
1788 -

[address]
The Honble. Major General Knox
Secretary at War
New York