16 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

Letter Bk. III

[Sharpe to Colville.]

To Lord Colvill. Annapolis the 25^th Jan^y 1762.
My Ld.
After making my Acknowledgments for the Letter Your
Lordship did me the honour to write to me the 7^th of Nov^r
last & for your ready Compliance with the Request which at
the Instance of the Gentⁿ who signed the Petition sent you the
18^th of Sept^r I took the Liberty to make, I must inform your
Ldp that altho Capt Norton had resolved to sail from Virg^a
the 20^th of Sept^r with the Ships that should be then ready &
had signified to both Gover^r Fauquier & myself that he could
not on any Consideration postpone his Departure yet by
reason of contrary winds it was impossible for him to go
to Sea till about the 20^th of Oct^r by which means all the
Ships which were then bound to Europe from Virginia & this
Province got down to Hampton time enough to take the
Benefit of his Convoy & as there are now but a very few
Vessels loading here for Great Britain & we have received
Information that one of His Majesty's Ships is ordered from
England to convoy the Trade from the Bay of Cheasapeak to
Europe in the Spring I have intimated to Capt Adams that
the Vessels which were loading here when I applied to your
Ldp for Convoy are already sailed whereupon he will I pre-
sume agreeable to your Ldp's conditional Instruction return
again to Hallifax.
With the greatest Respect I am—

[Sharpe to Capt. Adams.]

To Captain Adams. Commander of His Majesty's Ship
Diana. Ann^s 25^th Jan^y 1762.
Sir
In answer to the Letter you were pleased to send me the
4^th of Dec^r last but which I did not receive till this Moment, I
must inform you that at the time I took the Liberty to trans-
mit to Ld Colvill the Petition which you speak of it was
expected that Capt Norton would certainly have sailed from
Virginia the 20^th of Sept^r last he having by Letter signified to
me that no Consideration should detain him beyond that time
& in such Case very few of the Maryland Ships would have
got down to the Place of Rendezvous time enough to take
the Benefit of his Convoy, but as contrary winds rendered it
impossible for him to put to Sea till about a month after the
time' he had fixed for his Departure our Ships had time to
load & fall down to Hampton before he sailed so that there
are not more than two or three London Ships at present in