76 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

Letter Bk. IV

the same Month for London under Convoy of the Chester-
field Man of War She is I understand still in Virg^a the Ches-
terfield having about the time the Captain was to have sailed
for England been ordered to the Havanna as Convoy to some
Troops from New York & was it seems lost on her passage,
Tho their being so long on board a Ship during such a Season
might have prejudiced the Hams I arn in hopes the Wine will
be much the better for it, since that was ship't I have prevailed
on a Gent" of this place to give me in exchange for some not
so old four Dozen Bottles of very old & excellent Madeira
which I take the Liberty to beg Your Ldp's Acceptance of in
case Capt Craymer to whose Care it is committed should
arrive safe in London. As I have wrote fully to M^r Calvert in
answer to his last Letters & concerning what has been done
here in pursuance of the Articles of Agreement & Commis-
sion for running the Boundary Lines I shall not trouble Your
Ldp with any thing at present on that Subject presuming that
M^r Calvert will lay before Your Ldp both my Letters & the
Papers I have transmitted to him relative to that Business
which as Your Ldp I apprehend will think does indeed creep
slowly on, nevertheless I do not know unless it had been left
to one Person alone to direct & superintend the Work & he
had been provided with Instruments which we have not, how
the Expence & Delay could have been avoided, at least I am
confident that All the Gentⁿ who have the honour to act as
Your Ldp's Commissioners are studious to dispatch the Work
at as small an Expence as possible. Having lately received a
Letter from One of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of
State wherein he is pleased in express Terms to signify his
Majesty's Displeasure at the Conduct & Proceedings of the
Lower House of Assembly of this Province I thought it my
Duty to transmit a Copy thereof for Your Ldp's perusal ;
Whenever the Assembly meets I shall communicate to them
the Contents of it & if I am ordered to solicite them again for
Supplies shall entertain hopes that it will have some Influence
on their proceedings, it will however be much more agreeable
to me not to have such a Reason for convening them for
altho they should at length give up their Assessment Bill they
would probably offer some other that might not be quite
unexceptionable ; Lest that should be the Case I should be
extremely glad to know whether if a Supply Bill was offered
on any Plan similar to the £40000 Act made in 1756 I might
give my Assent to it, or how far Your Ldp now the Province
is not in such Danger of being overrun as it was when that
Act passed would choose to have any part of Your private
Estate in the Province taxed towards raising Money for His
Majesty's Service. Your Ldp may remember that among