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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 67
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the Contents of His Ldps second Letter & pressed them to
remit the Arrears that are due to the abovementioned Gentln
but I find they will not comply even tho they should be dis-
missed for such their Refusal Indeed it is my opinion that
they cannot afford to pay the sum that is required of them but
at the same time I do not know any Office that can afford it
better than theirs so that if His Ldp excuses them Mr Wogan
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Letter Bk. I.
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cannot be made sensible of His Ldp's Regard for him by any
Remittances from this province. You know that if it had
been possible I was to have reimbursed myself by some means
or other the £50 p Ann that I was ordered to remit for Mrs
Hides use but hitherto I have paid every Shilling of that
money out of my own Pockett & must I perceive still continue
to do so. Beside this I have found myself under a necessity
of advancing several sums that I shall never be repaid par-
ticularly £31 for Copying the Laws that were sent to the Board
of Trade, & of expending large Sums during lournies under-
taken for His Majesty's Service & that of the Province. Add
to this what I have given to my Secretary for want of Power
& an Opportunity of appointing him to some place of Profit
as I expected I should be able to do when I left England.
This I mention lest His Ldp should require the £100 for Mr
Wogan at my hands & that you may know it is not in my
Power to raise such a Sum by any Scheme whatever. With
respect to all the Officers who are benefitted by the Sale of
Lands they find a prodigious Difference between the Income
of their Places at this time & before the Inhabitants were
deterred from making Surveys near the Frontiers. I have
been told that before I came into the Province the Chancel-
lor's Fees from Frederick County alone have amounted to
near £100, but I can assure you that all the Tobo that I receive
in a year for affixing the Great Seal will not sell for as much
as I am required to remit you annually. When the times will
mend who can foretell? but I may venture to pronounce that
if our Affairs do not assume a better Face soon the most
frugal of us will be unable to make any great Addition to
their Fortunes. It gives me a good Deal of Concern to be
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p. 301
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obliged to make such a Representation but as the Subject
naturally led me to it I think I should not have done Justice
to Myself or the other Gentln who hold Offices under His Ldp
if I had declined expressing my Sentiments ingenuously &
freely on the Occasion. — In the inclosed Gazette you will see
an Article of News from New York which together with the
Account of one Street who has lately made his Escape from
Fort Du Quesne affords us great Room to beleive that the
French will make an Attempt on Fort Cumberland before the
End of the Campaign. This Street was a Drummer in the
Pensa Forces till Fort Granville was reduced last Summer
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p. 302
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