Mr John G Bond

a few days past I rec'd. letters from my friend Seth Hunt. Stateing the substance of an arrangement he had made with you for the shipment of Lead from this—Country to either Philadelphia—New York or Boston as the market shall from time to time answer. It was my Expectation to have rec'd authority to draw on N York however I trust I can so arrange the business that Drafts on Boston will answer but with this deference that I must Suffer a Delay untill information of the Acceptanc of the Drafts are Known in lexington the disadvantages resulting from the Bills being drawn on Boston I trust will only be felt in the commencement of this business— Its a great object to have Cash on hand to make the purchase but as I have it in my Power to make a Shipment from my own funds I shall do so rather than sell our Draft at a Discount, the Bank in Lexington will not take Drafts at 120 Days except at 2 1/2 of 3 p'c this loss I shall prevent by forwarding my Drafts on to Mess. Hart Barton and Hart Lexington and by them to be forwarded to frends in New York for Acceptance. When the Credit of my Drafts are established I shall Never hereafter meet with difficulty—from my friend Hunts letters I had good reason to expect letters from you respecting this business, giving directions to whom the Lead should be ship.d whether to New York or Boston

I shall make the first shipment to the Care of Mess Hart Barton and Cox New Orleans— Subject to be forward'd either to New York or Boston as you shall order with information in time to have Insurance made in either place as the case may be—but the risque from this to New Orleans can not be cover'd as an office of Insuran[ce] doth not Exist in this Country—

I trust you have a full understanding of this buseness in as much as my friend Hunt States in his letters to me, that it is to be don on the same conditions I stated to him in my letter from Lexington Shelbyvill and Lewisvill that is the shipments are to be made on joint account and risque both as it respects Profit and Loss—

Its my Wish that this transaction may be so managed that you will finde it Your Interest to continue Shipments from this country. It will be my Interest to conduct the business in such a way as to confirm not destroy the good opinion and confidenc my friend Hunt has in me, with expectations of information from you on this Subject and your directions to whom the Shipment will be made either in N York or Boston I shall prepare and make a Shipment to New Orleans

You will be so good as to Write Mess Hart Barton and Cox New Orleans ordering to whom the shipment from that place will be made I shall always make my shipments to Mess Hart Barton and Cox in the name and for the account of John G Bond Boston—

John G Bond esq Keen N Hampshire

Saint Genevve May 3 1809

[Moses Austin.]