Folio 77: Rondeau to Harrington. Wratislaw and Osterman seem imperfectly informed...

Folio 77: Rondeau to Harrington. Wratislaw and Osterman seem imperfectly informed from Vienna concernin duke of Holstein. No further information on the matter until conference news digested. Two Chinese ambassadors had first audience with Czarina on anniversary ofher coronation. King of Prussia has sent some fine verses composed for this occasion- more tall grenadiers wanted. Several foreign merchants here alarmed by office and soldiers at daybreak searching their house for goods that had not paid customs. Gardiner and Elmsall, Englishmen, similarly treated, but nothing found that had not paid customs. Naturalised Englishman formerly Dutch, called Harmon Myer, is trying to corner almost all trade, having sold by contract between 300,000 and 400,000 yards of English cloth for soldiers and has bought for 7 years all the potash and iron very cheaply. Several merchants of British factory have informed me that order from College of Commerce forbids any merchant from selling goods having not paid customs, on pain of death. I plan to confer with de Dieu, the Dutch envoy, on how we can assist our countrymen. Dated StPetersburg, 6 May 1732.