Letters to the Council. 415

Price & the use of the Markett left most People enterested in the
sale of the Wheat on hand, which laid us under such difficulties that
a considerable time elapsed before we could find Persons within
the description of the Law to make a Valuation. This at last has
been done and the price fixed on here is £20 p Bushell for Wheat
& £ 70 p O for Flour. Corn there will be very little and I dont know
that as yet any has been Valued, but suppose the Price will fix at
£10 p Bushell. I shall have in the District I have taken about 700
barrells of Flour 6 or 700 Bushell Indian Corn & between 1500 &
2000 Bushell of Wheat, the other Gent^l told me a few days ago they
expected to get not more than from 4 to 5000 bushell of Wheat
between them & little or no corn or Rye. I have appointed next
Tuesday to meet the other Com™ and hope then to be able to make
a proper return. I wrote the 16^th last Month to Col^l Francis Wade
D. Q. M. at Wilmington informing Him that I then had 200 bar-
rells Flour, requesting that Waggons if to be had might be sent after
it, His answer was that they had Flour & Forrage enough in that
part of the Country to give full employment to all their Teams &
He expected that during the Frost the Magazines would be furnished
enough to answer every purpose without extending their Views
for supplies thus far. So that the Flour &c in this Place must lay
till the Navigation opens. We are directed by the Law to what
Landings to send the Supplies, but to whose care we know not, there-
fore must request Your direction.

Red Book
No. 32

[Ignat's Taylor to His Excellency Thomas Sim Lee Esq^r and the
Hon^ble the Council]

Gentlemen As a Commissioner in St. Mary's County under the
Act of the General Assembly entituled an Act for the immediate
supply of flour and other Provisions for the Army, have taken into
my possession eleven barrells of flour and seven hundred and fifteen
bushells of Indian Corn, Six hundred bushells of which was en-
grossed & taken on board a Vessell. If Your Excellency & the Hon^ble
the Council think it most advisable that the Vessell be retained until
the frost is fully broke to Carry the Provision up the Bay, or that
it be Stored, if the latter I conceive it will be most expensive from
the inconvenience attending the landing and getting a Store house
Proper for the keeping it. Hope to receive your instructions on this
business Shortly.

February 4

[Sam'l & Robt. Purviance, Baltimore, to His Excellency
Thomas Sim Lee Esqr]
Sir The unfortunate detention of The Ship Buckskin & Four
other large Vessels in which we are interested, have subjected us
to the great Expence of Revictualing them before they can leave
Patuxent.

February 4