154 Journal and Correspondence

further is necessary, I must pray the favour of the Honourable
Council of Safety to grant it the Powder & lead upon pro-
ducing my receipt and their order will be instantly delivered,
mean time it is under the care & eye of the Committee, the
quantity 575^l powder, 1600^l of lead & shot. As to gun locks,
I was desired when I was at Annapolis to keep what I had &
what cuttoe knives also. I sent up an account of both viz^t 92
gun locks, price from 7/6 to 16/6 the avera. 13/3, which I believe
you'l find among the secret committee papers, the qualities
are various some plain, some S. bridle, some double, but all
pretty good as those prices can afford. We have some locks
hereabouts that cost 18/ stg. at London and I have seen some
at 37/6 stg. those I have will I believe do pretty well. I could
have sold them to better advantage to the Virginia Agents but
as I suppose some time or other our people would prepare for
defence and my Smiths repairing fire arms & wanting locks I
kept them. I am very indifferent about selling them but if the
Honourable Council of Safety desire it to have them they are
at their service. I believe I may have 100. I bought most of
them in the South Branch of Virginia. As to cuttoes, I have
231 as you'l see by the account My brimstone unhappily cost me
more then the Publick offers. [1 lost] not a moment in com-
municating the letter directed to T. C. S. W & W. T. W. and
setting engines to work, and I believe we shall succeed but we
want money to exchange — of this more hereafter. My best
respects attend the Honourable Council and I am Sir,
Your very hble. servant,
Stephen West.
To M^r Gabriel Duvall elk of the Council of Safety.

Original.

[Contee and others to Council.]

Upper Marlbro Feb^y 12^th 1776.
Gentlemen. We received yours of the second Instant with
the appointment, and have immediately set about the business.
We find it may be necessary to have Cash in hand to give
exchange for Specie as we shall get small sums in many hands
and people will prefer having the money at the time they give
up their gold & Silver, this mode woul^d save us much trouble
and we presume that it wou'd forward the business. If you
was to send us down fifteen hundred pounds common money
immediately by some safe hand and each of us wou'd be
accountable for five hundred pounds. We wish it may be in
our power to collect a much larger sum in this County, If so
we shall apply for more when we return the former sum in
specie.
We are Gentlemen with great respect your most
Obedient Servants. Tho^s Contee
Stephen West.
W^m T. Wootton.