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Original: with Capitn: Decker
Dupl: with Capitn: Arboe
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Most gracious King!
The unfortunate fire that hit St. Thomas on 13th this month rendered it necessary to keep Your Majesty's Brig St. Jan here a couple of days longer, especially since there were some arsons in the following days, and because the Brig St. Croix hasn't yet arrived here.
As, however, St. Jan has been at sea for 14 months and it's equipment is somewhat worn-out, I am not happy to keep it until the hurricane season. Therefore I ordered Lieutenant Zahrtmann to depart yesterday if no unforeseen circumstances should force Governor Søbøtker to require his stay even further. I still have no news about its departure from St. Thomas which I left the day before yesterday. A few days ago a negro rebellion should have been started in Ponce at Puertorico, but General de la Torre was informed about it some hours before the breakout and prevented it by military force. However the city of Aguadilla was set on fire at exactly the same time where the rebellion should have been started in Ponce. The letters I have seen from Puertorico consider this as consequences of intrigues of the new republics. It's not exactly good for us, since we are so close to Puertorico.
Right after my appointment as General Governor here, I considered it important to find a production that was better at tolerating drought and poor soil than the sugar cane and didn't demand too heavy work, as the cultivation and manufacturing of sugar wears out our entire negro labour, and very often fails due to drought.
I considered the Cochineal to be the best match to the above mentioned conditions, as the Nopal plant on which it lives, stands drought, is content with soil in which sugar will not grow and finally only requires little work.
Without therefore neglecting other produce such as Indigo, fine tobacco, and others, I especially aimed at obtaining the Cochineal, but encountered incredible difficulties.
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