John Brown Cutting to John Adams, October 12, 1788

London 12 th. Oct r. 1788

My Dear Sir,

The following was the return of the Greenland Fishery on the 17 th of June last. made here 1

At no period previous to the last war were there more than one hundred ships employed in this trade; in the year before last 151 ships were employed; and last year 248 the value of whose cargoes amounted to the fourth part of a million. Now let us attend to the account of the southern whale fishery as stated accurately on the 1 st of June last. Viz

In the year 1785 there were but 18 ships employed in the southern whale fishery, and the amount of their cargoes was estimated at £30,000. Last year 38 ships were employed the cargoes of which are estimated at more than £100.000 So that in two years the number of ships employed have been more than doubled, and the value of the trade more than trebled. And this year the number of ships employed is upwards of 50, and their cargoes expected to exceed £200.000. On these facts I make no comment.

I have the honor to be (with an unavoidable brevity and abruptness), / Your Affectionate Respectful / And Most Obed t. Serv t.

John Brown Cutting.