To Thomas Pownall (unpublished)
Passy, March 1. 85
Dear old Friend

The above is Extract of a Letter I wrote you in Septr. 1782. I had been misinformed as to the Receipt of the Box at Ostend. It had it seems been put on board a London Ship which was to touch at Ostend for Imperial Papers; but was not landed there, The Ship being bound to the West Indies, carried it thither, where it has lain till lately that a Correspondent of my Nephew Mr. Williams, conjectured from its Mark BF, and its not being claim’d there that it probably belong’d to me; he accordingly sent it to Dunkirk, from whence I receiv’d it a few Days since. I inclose a Copy of your Letter respecting this Matter, in which you say the Ballance of Almon’s Account is made up by the Copies of the Work delivered. This on reconsidering the Account you will find to be a Mistake. The Copies delivered ballance the Account of the Number printed, but not of the Money. On receiving the Account I find the Ballance due to Mrs. Barry by your Benefaction to be still greater than abovementioned, the Amount of 776 sold at 8s. 6d. being not as Mr. Almon makes it £312 16s. 0d. but £329 16s. 0d. from which substracting his £300 11s. 0d. there remains £29 5s. 0d. No one but yourself can properly recover this of Mr. Almon; and I hope you will be able to do it, and thereby render your intended Bounty effectual. With great and sincere Esteem, I am, my dear Friend, Yours most affectionately

B Franklin

The Box you committed to the Care of Mr. Bridgen was duly senty by him, and received at Ostend; but in its way from thence hither it has miscarried. I am taking pains to find out what is become of it. I hope it is not irrevocably lost. Tho I have lost other things before which were coming to me, and think the Carriage between Ostend and Paris is by no means a safe Conveyance. I had in May last received Almon’s Account which you sent me. There are several Articles in it that appear to me monstrously extravagant. But I suppose there is no Remedy. His whole Charge amounts to £300 11s. 0d.; and he gives Credit for Cash received by the Sale £312 16s. 0d. There is then a Ballance remaining for Mrs. Barry of £12 5s. 0d., which I hope you have received, on in, ballance the Number; but they by no means discharge any part of that Sum, being all charged and paid for in the Account.
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