Letters to Benjamin Franklin 263 



tournois, being the amount of his interest in several cargoes of mer- 

 chandise which Mr, Wharton is sending to Philadelphia to be sold. 

 Undertook another mercantile adventure w^ith Mr. Wharton, Mr. 

 [Francis] Coffyn, and Dr. [Edward] Bancroft. Mr. Wharton prom- 

 ised on his arrival in Philadelphia to send his remittances on account 

 of this venture, through their common friend, Dr. Franklin, but has 

 never written a single letter. On November 15, 1781, Mr. Coffyn 

 wrote him that he had received from Mr. Wharton a remittance of 

 9,140 livres which he had kept for himself as a part of what he loaned 

 to Mr. Wharton to complete his share in their joint undertaking. By 

 another letter of May, 1782, Mr. Coffyn informed him of having re- 

 ceived a second remittance of 19,140 livres, destined for their joint 

 concern. Of this sum Mr. Coffyn took for himself the greater part, 

 only sending to Dr. Ingen Housz i,8oo livres, pleading in excuse that 

 he paid himself by it the remainder of what he had loaned to Mr. 

 Wharton, or paid for him in their part of the venture. Mr. Coffyn 

 received again in October, 1783, a remittance of 5,000 livres, of which 

 he sent Dr. Ingen Housz 2,484 livres. Dr. Ingen Housz complained 

 to Mr. Wharton of Coffyn's behavior, but got no answer. He received 

 from Mr. Samuel Lewis Wharton, under date of July 9, 1783, 8,000 

 livres for his own account. Notwithstanding Mr. Coffyn's conduct 

 he had lately endeavored to get Dr. Ingen Housz to join him in a letter 

 of attorney to force Mr. Wharton to pay them what he owes, which 

 he does not understand, as Mr. Coffyn had already paid himself much 

 more than his share amounted to, and he refused to give the power of 

 attorney. Dr. Ingen Housz received back the capital sum of 8,000 

 livres, laid out in a mercantile undertaking directed by Mr. Samuel 

 Wharton, but the profits of the undertaking, which must have been con- 

 siderable, is still owing to him. Of the sum of 12,691 livres employed 

 in the venture directed by Mr. Coffyn, and near 1,000 livres paid 

 afterwards for the expenses of transportation, he received only 3,284 

 livres, thus the greater part of the sum employed and all the profits 

 are still owing to him. Mr. John Williams of Boston, under date of 

 December 28, 1782, informed him that he had invested in his name in 

 the Loan Office in Boston $7,000 at six per cent., also that he had 

 another sum which he kept at Dr. Ingen Housz's disposal, for which he 

 will pay him the same rate of interest as the Congress notes draw. Dr. 

 Ingen Housz gave him orders to remit this sum with the interest on the 

 Loan Office certificates, but he has never received an answer to this 

 order. A. Mem. 4 p. LV, 90. 



