He Bought Groceries Of A Hardware Dealer Named
Davidson, At Albany, That Town Whence Came Mr. Weed's Clerk.
He did
not know what was Davidson's trade, nor did he know exactly what he
was going to buy; but Davidson proposed to sell him something which
Mr. Cummings believed to be some kind of provisions, and he bought
it.
He did not know for how much - whether over 2000l. or not. He
never saw the articles, and had no knowledge of their quality. It
was out of the question that he should have such knowledge, as he
naively remarks. His clerk Humphreys saw the articles. He presumed
they were brought from Albany, but did not know. He afterward
bought a ship - or two or three ships. He inspected one ship "by a
mere casual visit:" that is to say, he did not examine her boilers;
he did not know her tonnage, but he took the word of the seller for
everything. He could not state the terms of the charter, or give
the substance of it. He had had no former experience in buying or
chartering ships. He also bought 75,000 pairs of shoes at only 25
cents (or one shilling) a pair more than their proper price. He
bought them of a Mr. Hall, who declares that he paid Mr. Cummings
nothing for the job, but regarded it as a return for certain
previous favors conferred by him on Mr. Cummings in the occasional
loans of 100l. or 200l.
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