With pleasure I imbrace every opportunity to write you and these letters will be carryed to Phila. by Mr. Benjamin Barton; but as I wrote you some time ago in answer to letters which I Rec’d from you and Polly, to which Letters I have as yet had no answer, this must be a short one In which I must only give you some account of private affairs. My health is perfect: this Climate agrees well with me; my Prospect is good and In Short I am very happy as I have many Respectable Friends. But the Emence desire to see you, together with the rest of my Family gives me many anxious hours And but for this I could sit myself down with Content in England. But I love my Country and Friends And no Consideration shall separate me from them—this is my present Resolution. But why do I make this promise? Alas I am possessed of no more fortitude than other Men, and some unforseen Stroke may separate us for ever; but hope is ever by my side and I hope ere long to have the pleasure of seeing all of you.… As I am frequently changing my Lodgings to Suit my Convenience I Shall now give you new directions for your letters. It is to a permanent Merchant’s house, a namesake and Intimate friend of mine, and the letters will be much more likely to find him than me in which case I shall allways get them. You must direct them exactly thus Mr. Robert Fulton, Painter, To the care of Mr. Henry Fulton, No. 9 Watling Street, London. I beg you’l pay particular attention and have them precisely in the above manner and if they come to London I am sure to get them.… You must excuse the shortness of this letter as I am under the necessity of writing to my Phila., Virginia, New York, Lancaster and Baltimorien friends, which in the whole makes 50 letters of much the same length as this. Therefore to conclude this I shall (torn place in paper) be very particular and let me know every thing that you possibly can when you write—to write small and close that you may say a great deal in small compass for the ships often put the letters ashore at the first port they make, they come post to London And I have often paid half a guinea for a small package of letters. The better to accomplish this you better buy letter paper as it is thin for we pay according to the weight and not the size so if you can send me a pound of news upon an ounce of paper I shall save allmost a guinea by it. I have just left myself room to wish all of you every happiness and love and Compliments to Mr. Smith, Polly, Abraham, Bell Peyton and all Friends And believe me to be everything that is dutifull and affectionate in a Son, Brother and Friend, R. FULTON.