Letter Bk. III

apprehensive that such another Step will be taken by them
this Summer.
Our Assembly is still sitting but I apprehend to no manner
of Purpose as the Lower House seem determined to adhere
to a Bill they have now offered four times to the Upper &
which the Gentlemen of the Upper House have as often
rejected & are determined on their Part never to agree to.
As I understand that the Virginians have granted a Sum of
Money for the Support of 2000 Men during the Summer, but
that it will be absolutely impossible for their Officers to raise
that Number in any reasonable time altho they give Ten
Pounds by way of Bounty for every Recruit I will in Case
our Assembly should do nothing & you approve of the Pro-
posal write to M^r Blair on the Return of this Express & make
him an offer of the Men who are at present on the Fron-
tiers of this Province & as the Money which they give by way
of Bounty will be as much as the Arrears of Pay that are due
to our private Men the Expence to the Crown in Consequence
of the Earl of Loudoun's Engagement to me will by this
measure be much reduced indeed rendered very inconsid-
erable. — P. S. There were at Fort Cumberland the 8^th of
March 220 Men exclusive of Commission'd & Non Comrnis-
sion'd Officers, & 114 private Men were at that time in Fort
Frederick. None of them have received any Pay since the
8^th of Oct^r last.

[Forbes to Sharpe.]

Private Philadelphia, May 2^d 1758
Sir,
In case your Assembly are mad enough to do Nothing, I
like the proposal for the Virginians taking your Troops into
their pay extremely, and as I was sending an Express to M^r
Blair, 1 hinted to him that in Case such a proposal was made
to him by you, that he ought to Jump at it Directly
But in case he thinks they will be able to Raise their own
men, rather than let your Troops be Disbanded, I will take
them into the pay of the Crown, upon the Footing of Rangers.
And that no time may be lost in Adjusting & Settling those
& other measures, I have sent Sir John S^t Clair to Lancaster,
& from thence he is to Repair to Winchester in Virginia,
where I have Desired M^r Blair, or some Person, with full
powers, to meet him on the 18^th of this month, and where also