Επιστολή του Richard Oakes προς τον William Eden στο Λονδίνο (Αγία Πετρούπολη, 12/23 Ιουλίου 1776), με την οποία ενημερώνει το Λονδίνο σχετικά με την εξέλιξη της υπόθεσης των άγγλων James και Eton και την δημιουργία του ρωσικού εμπορικού οίκου στην Κωνσταντινούπολη, μαζί με πληροφορίες για το εμπορικό άνοιγμα της Μαύρης Θάλασσας και των Δαρδανελλίων.
Συγκεκριμένα ο Oakes γράφει:
Messieurs James and Eton whom I had the honor to mention to You in the beginning of April last, have at length finished their business here: the former set out for Constantinople ten days ago, as did the latter on Saturday last, by way France, England, Venice, and Vienna. Mr. James has the permission of building ships wherever he thinks fit on the Black Sea, or its rivers and is desired to communicate to Her Imperial Majesty any ideas which further experience may give him of the commercial advantages to be drawn from that navigation with a promise of every possible assistance from this court towards the prosecution of his undertakings of that sort, it being intended to send in future the products of Russia by way of that sea to its south east coasts, and to Constantinople as well as through the Dardanelles. The firm of this Russian House at Constantinople is Siednef, James and Company. Before their departure from hence, they became burghers of this city, and wrote circular letters to merchants in different parts, soliciting commissions, and setting forth very confidently the superior advantages with which they could do business for their friends from the Russian nation’s enjoying exclusively the whole navigation and commerce of the Black Sea, and being exempted from the duty of one and a half per cent called doiria.
Mr. Etons journey through the principal countries of Europe is doubtless with this vies of fixing commercial correspondence. This scheme will apparently be very lucrative to Baron Frederick and his protector the Procurator General, as well as to the factors, but whether the Crown will reap any advantage from it is not equally certain. Though I cannot pretend to determine, how far our own Levant trade might be affected by its success or consequence, yet I hope it will not appear foreign to my duty to have attended to and communicated these particulars. …