Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 447

our Cousin Sharpe's Lady which I shall endeavour to do if I^]
can get any Birds that are worth sending but really such Birds
are very scarce in this Province. We have a Species called
the Mocking Bird that is most in Esteem on Account of its
note but 'tis difficult to preserve them in a Cage longer than
a Summer or two even in this Climate. As the Virg^a Red
Birds are not so tender & delicate I may possibly be able to
send some of them to England this Fall tho few Masters of
Ships will take any Care of such Passengers. I have several
times procured some Wild Turkeys to send to B^r William but
they have always died or been killed before they were large
enough to put on board or before I had an opportunity of
transmitting them. I had two brought down from Fort Cum-
berland the Year before last when I was on the Frontiers which
lived more than three months & then died. The Letter to
Duncan Campbell was from M^r Ridout & the purport of it
was to desire him in case he had been appointed Collector to
wait on You & give or Cause Security to be given on M^r
Ridouts Behalf. As it would be now improper to deliver
either that Letter or the other two which were addressed to
Ld Albermarle & Gov^r Dinwiddie Youll be pleased to destroy
them. In the inclosed Gazette you may see all the news that
hath lately come to us from both the Northern & Southern
Colonies which however I presume you will have heard long
before this reaches you. Wishing you the Enjoyment of a
much better State of Health than B^r W^m tells me you were in
when he wrote I am.

[Fauquier to Sharpe.]

W^msburgh July 28^th 1760.
S^r
I have absolutely nothing left me to do but to ask your
pardon. Knowing nothing of Mr. Fox or even his name but
as told me for that purpose, I had quite forgot the whole
affair: and looking in my Copy Book of Letters I found no
Copy of that Date (not thinking it of consequence enough to
copy) w^ch together occasioned my last Letter. I well remem-
bered the having mentioned S^r Isaac's papers, being a Subject
the D^r and I had often talk'd over, and thought it must be in
the Letter I sent by M^r Burnaby not finding it among my other
Letters in my Copy Book
If you will excuse this great piece of Impertinence, I have
been guilty of, you will much oblige, S^r your most Obed^t hum^ble Serv^t
Fran: Fauquier
To his Excell^y Gov^r Sharpe