John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, July 1, 1799

1. July. 1799.

My last letter to you upon private affairs was of April 29. since
which I have received none from you, untill last evening, when your’s of 4. to 12.
March, from Quincy, and of 11. May from Baltimore, both came to hand.— In the last, you
mention having written me, at full length, the week before by the way of London; but
this letter I have not received. 1

Your account of the administration of affairs by both my former
agents needs no comment as you say, excepting my thanks for the attention with which you
went through the very irksome task of collecting the information— With your proceedings
I am fully satisfied; and am much more deeply afflicted with the account of my agent at
New-York, than with the loss of all my property

Since I wrote you last, I have received a few lines from Doctor
Welsh, dated 6. Feb y: in which he says he had delivered all my papers to Doctor Tufts; in which however he is
mistaken as I find by your letter— 2 He
adds, that as to the balance in cash, it will not be in his power immediately to
discharge it, but shall be obliged to give for it, a note upon interest: he does not
even state how that balance stood, and I must therefore make it out by guess— It must
amount to 409 dollars, and 61 cents if all the assessments upon the canal shares were
paid, to the 30 th: inclusively, according to his last
account— But if as I fear is the case he there charged for payments which he had not
made, the balance will be larger.— The six receipts for the share in the Boston Theatre,
for £33:6:8. apiece, I delivered to Doctor Welsh myself, and had paid them all up— In
one of his accounts he has charged me, with another payment of £42— so that I cannot be
possibly bound to any further expence on that score.

In my letter of April 29. I proposed to you, to sell our
obligations in Holland, and invest the proceeds in our funds at home, and empowered you
to draw 2000 dollars on the 1 st: of September, November and
January upon the Secretary of State for that purpose— But I find upon enquiry that we
could not sell the obligations under a loss of less than ten per cent, and as the rate
of exchange from this place upon Amsterdam is so
low, that it would occasion a loss of as much more, I have concluded to keep my
obligations untill the period of their repayment which is now only four years distant—
Nevertheless, you may draw the 2000 dollars, if you please, from the Secretary of State,
on the 1 st: of January next, for your own Obligations, and
make them over to me. 3

My Books and your baggage, sailed from Lisbon on the 26 th: of April, for Boston, where I hope they have ere this,
arrived

I am very glad that you subscribed for me to the loan; and shall be
perfectly satisfied, to have you place my property, as you propose— I shall see if I can
get the guns for you, as you desire. 4

Your’s—