Your friendly offer to accommodate us with any merchandise you may have, either for beaver or otter or other wares, is also very acceptable, and we doubt not we shall shortly have profitable trade together. This year we are fully supplied with all necessaries, clothing, etc., though later we shall hope to deal with you, if your rates are reasonable. When you send to us again we shall like to know what price you give for beaver per pound, and otter per skin; and on what per cent you will deal for other commodities, and what you can supply us with; also what other goods from us would be acceptable to you, as tobacco, fish, corn, etc., and what prices you will give, etc. We hope you will pardon us for our imperfect writing in your language, and take it in good part; through want of practice we cannot so well express what we understand, nor understand everything as full we should. We humbly pray the Lord for His mercy’s sake that He will take both us and you into His gracious keeping and protection. By the Governor and Council of New Plymouth, Your Worships’ very good friends and neighbours, etc. _New Plymouth, March 19th._ After this there was much correspondence and other intercourse, and they traded profitably together for several years, till other things interrupted it, as will appear afterwards. Before they sent Mr. Allerton to England this year, the Governor and some of the principal members seriously considered how best to discharge the many obligations which lay so heavily upon them, and also how, if possible, to bring over some of their friends at Leyden, who wished so much to come to them, and whose company they desired equally. To effect this, the leading men of the colony resolved upon a venturesome course, not knowing how to accomplish their objects otherwise. This was, that they should purchase the trade of the settlement (now owned jointly by the settlers, as a body, and by the adventurers) for a certain period, and in that time to undertake to pay the £1800, and all the rest of the debts of the plantation then owing, which amounted to about £600 more; the trade of the settlement to revert to the common ownership at the end of the period. Upon coming to this resolution they called the settlers together, and made it clear to them what all their debts amounted to, and upon what terms they would undertake to pay them in a given time. But their other objects they were obliged to conceal, only privately consulting some of their most trusted friends about it. So after some discussion with the colonists, it was agreed to, and the contract drawn up on the following condition.