Winchester 14th Novr 1824

Col Stephen F Austin

Dear Sir After a long loansome and tedious journey I arrived at home on the 7th Inst., and agreeable to a request you made I have formed a little company to go on to your settlement with goods two young Gentlemen of this place will go on with me with between 2 and three thousand dollars worth of goods our object will be to trade them off for Mules and to make a[s] quick and good sale of the goods as possible I shall bring my family on with me if convenient I would like if you would have a cabbin built for me in Town we expect to be there sometime in Feby, should we find the trade profitable and can collect mules tolerably fast and should it meet with your approbation it is likely that we will open a fiew goods in your Province as one of the Young Men who will be a long has a Brother here who is a Merchant that will furnish him with any amount of goods that he can sell and we are all to have an eaqual interest. I now think that it will be best for us to take a trip to Some of the Spanish Towns in order to enable us to make a good and speedy trip however we do intend to take and be governed by your advice entirely I would be glad that you would be ready to give as your advice so soon as we arrive I calculate that we will have a long some usefull articles for the people of your Colony.

Thomas Westall [Rubric]