March 9 1812: Aaron Burr

For March 9, 1812, Aaron Burr in London wrote the following entry in his private journal:

[March, 1812] 9.       Finished last night my letter to Captain J.and took it this morning to the Godwins to get one of the M'lles to copy. Madame charged herself with the copying and the transmission to Madame F., who is to forward it in her own name. Then to Koe's office to try to get him to go with me to try to get some copies of the " Elements of Packing," a book thought too severely true on the courts and judges to admit of selling it here. K. thought best to go first him-self.
Then to Graves's. The ship Beaver, that in which I hoped to go to Havana and New Orleans, had changed her destination, and will go only to Oporto. This is particularly unfortunate, as the owner at Liverpool is disposed to be civil to me. Called on Joyce. His language portends a mostruinous bill ; but there is no getting the articles out of his hands, for he has had the wit to pull the mall to pieces. Being hungry, came home at 3, and ate p.d.t. Then away for my rendezvous with Fisher, the dentist. He had desired me to come prepared to make a final proposition. I was prepared,and had little doubt of getting more than 100 guineas. But some trifling objection had occurred, and he was quite off. So fails that hope. Intended to have gone to Dessaules's, and to have given him a guinea for some small changes which I wished to his work ; but seeing a prospect of hard times, thought better to keep my guinea, and came directly home at 1/2 p. 5. Have been reading trifling things; ruminating on the state of the nation; eating supper, i.e. tea, &c., and have had half an hour's enjoyment by overturning my table, on which is my writing-case,which is stuffed full of choses; by the fall it burst open and displayed some hundreds of articles. Attempting to save the case, I over set myself and the table, with candle, pitcher, &c., &c. The noise alarmed the family who live in the cellar-kitchen, two stairs below me, and the three females came up in fright, but all was darkness, for my candle was out. There is, however, no injury that will cost money, except 6 pence for the pitcher. Mais voila, in gathering up the ruins I find a sixpence !'