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to coerce a compliance on the part of the manufacturers in New York with their engagements. The delay which has taken place is to be ascribed almost exclusively to the neglect of the manufacturers in that city to comply with the engagements which they entered into with the Collector of New York to furnish the moorings for the Hatteras light-ship. In a letter from the collector of that port to me, dated the 25th of March ultimo, he remarked: "As your order is for a chain and anchors of an extraordinary size, I have had some difficulty to get the manufacturers to engage to make them, and it will probably be sixty days before they are completed. Messrs. W. C. Holly and Co. have engaged to make the chain at nine cents per pound, and Messrs. Nixon and Woodhull the anchors; the shanks at twelve and a half cents per pound, and the mushroom castings at four and a half cents per pound. They will forward them to Norfolk when made. The expenses of transportation they expect you to pay." If the chains and anchors had been received at the time stated by the Col lector of New York that he thought they would probably be complete, I would have coerced the contractors here to have completed their work in fifteen or twenty days. Indeed, the delay at New York induced the workmen here to delay the completion of their work. On the 17th of June last, Messrs. Nixon and Woodhull addressed a letter to me, in reply to one which I had written to them on the 10th of the same month, relative to the anchors. They apologised for the delay, and stated that the anchors would be shipped in a short time. They concluded their letter by stating: "We truly regret any detention which may possibly be caused at Norfolk." On the 6th of July ultimo, they addressed a letter to me, advising me that the two mushroom anchors, complete," had been shipped per schooner Albany Packet, John Hipkins, master. They enclosed me a bill of lading, in the usual form, and duplicate accounts and receipts, and requested me to remit them a draft on the New York Branch of the United States' Bank for the amount. On the arrival of the Albany packet, one of the anchors was reported to be unfit for use; a survey was called, the anchor condemned, and consequently not received; the draft requested was not forwarded, in consequence of one of the anchors having been condemned. I beg leave to refer you to my letter to you on the subject, dated the 27th of July last. On the 10th of August ultimo, Messrs. Nixon and Woodhull addressed a letter to me, in answer to one from me dated the 11th of September last, on the subject of the condemned anchor. In conclusion, they remarked, "We cannot take any direction of it, and, at the suggestion and advice of Captain H. we are preparing to cast a third for your order, and shall have it ready to send by him probably the next trip." Captain Hipkins has arrived here twice from New York since the date of their last letter. No communication whatever has since been received from them. In a month after the date of my letter, which they acknowledge to have received in due course of mail, they advise me that they were preparing to cast a third anchor, for my order, not in consequence of my having required them to furnish a perfect anchor in the place of the

cracked anchor which had been condemned by a regular survey, but at the suggestion and advice" of Captain Hipkins. I have written to the Collector of New York, and requested him to do me the favor to "ascertain whether the anchor will be shipped in a short time."

D.

Extract of a letter from James Johnson, Esq. Collector of the Customs at Norfolk, Virginia, to the Acting Commissioner of the Revenue, dated October 28, 1825.

"Your letter of the 22d instant, on the subject of the Cape Hatteras light-ship, has been received. I have received a letter from the Collector at New York, dated the 20th instant, in which he remarked, "I have shewn Messrs. Nixon and Woodhull your letter, who state that they had engaged Mr. McQueen to cast the anchor for them, but he now declines it." They further state, that "they shall be able to cast it in their own furnace, and deliver it on board a Norfolk packet on or before the 5th November next." If they comply with this last engagement, the anchor will be obtained sooner from their furnace than it could be procared elsewhere, as it is understood that the mass of iron contained in the mushrooms requires two or three weeks to cool before it can be safely removed."

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