so that there are no lords who have income from the land. The land costs us a yearly fee of two to three, or up to six shillings. The prices of grain are: wheat, four shillings per bushel; rye, three shillings [per bushel]; oats, two shillings [per bushel]. Meat is seven pence, beef is two pence per pound, pork (dressed) is three pence per pound. Flax is one shilling per bushel, hemp is four to five pence per bushel, and salt is eighteen pence per bushel, which for us in Switzerland is four schillings. One cow costs £3 or £4. One work horse (of average size) costs from £10 to £15. Sheep, if they are large and have good wool, sell for £6 each.
Concerning the handworkers and day laborers, as has already been reported to you, those who want to work can easily find something. Our Swiss travelling companions have already earned quite a bit, but some have quickly spent it. We are scattered far from each other. One can be healthy here and we are well nourished. Nevertheless, people here are very worried on account of the many evils of humankind. It appears that God will inflict war on America too, because the English and the French have already had many skirmishes. First this and then that party is attacked on the ocean. Until now the English have mostly had the upper hand. According to the reports in the newspapers, the English have already captured one hundred ships from the French. This is a large booty because there are so many cannon, and they cost up to £1,000 each. Some ships carry sixty, eighty or one hundred cannon.