20 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

Letter Bk. IV

of which a Duplicate was transmitted to myself. By the next
Ship that sails I shall probably be able to inform Your Ldp
whether he seems disposed to pursue the Plan therein laid
down & prescribed to him. M^r Bacon having come to Anna-
polis the Beginning of the winter in order to Collate or exam-
ine his manuscript Acts of Assembly with the Records is still
here when he returns again to Frederick County I shall induct
him in the usual form to All Saints Parish & shall also execute
Your Ldp's Instructions in favour of the Rev^d M^r Williamson
& M^r Keene. M^r Calvert having signified to me your Ldp's
Desire to have me procure & send Your Ldp by the first
Opportunity two Pipes of Old Madeira Wine & a Hhd of
Maryland Burgundy I have used my utmost Endeavours to
get for Your Ldp some good Madeira that has been two or
three years in the Country but not having been able to suc-
ceed to my wishes (for what the Merchants generally import
for Sale is of the inferiour Sort) I have sent Your Ldp a Pipe
of Madeira that I imported three years ago for my own use
& as it is the best & oldest I have I flatter myself it will please
your Ldp's Taste. The inclosed Letter will shew Your Ldp
that for the Wine which we imported last Summer (& it seems
there is no Probability of its price being lower) we were
obliged to pay to the Merchant in Madeira at the Rate of

£33 Slg a Pipe to which if there be added Thirty Shillings for

Freight & Premium for Insurance at Seven p^r Cent, each pipe
at our Cellar Doors costs near £37 Stg, which I am told is
twice as much as it would sell for here about twelve or four-
teen years ago. What I must pay for a Pipe of Wine to
replace this I cannot say but if Your Ldp would choose to have
a certain quantity sent from hence every year & will be pleased
to let me know how much, I will write to my Correspondent
in Madeira for such Additional quantity annually & when
it hath been a Summer or two meliorating here will ship it to
Your Ldp. There hath been no Burgundy made in Maryland
since my Arrival except two or three Hhds which Col^o Tasker
made in 1759 this was much admired by all that tasted it in
the months of Feb^y & March following, but in a week or two
afterwards it lost both its Colour & Flavour so that no person
would touch it & the ensuing winter being a severe one
destroyed almost all the Vines.
With the utmost Respect I am My Ld
Y^r Ldps &c
P. S. Having been informed since I concluded my Lett^r
that a Ship of Col^o Lloyds which carries 20 Guns is expected
every hour from the West Indies & will be immediately loaded
with Tob^o for London I have not sent the Pipe of Madeira on
board this Ship as I intended to do when I wrote the above