196 Journal and Correspondence

December 1

Weeks hence unless we have a quantity salted up. Col^o Stone
promised to send me up some salt for that purpose but none has
yet come to hand and the Season is almost over for Beef.
The Merchants at this place have met with so many losses of late
that they are quite disheartened and indeed have not money to
make purchases, besides they have a very bad opinion of the Tobacco
paid in for Taxes which is mostly from the worst Warehouses
a great deal of it light and some several years inspected therefore it
is not in my power to sell for near the price you limitted except it
is now & then a few Hogsh^ds at a time. I expect to sell thirty or
forty of that at George Town in a few days provided the Gentleman
can raise the Cash and if I do, and that sum will be of any service
to you, will send it down if not it could readily be laid out here either
in the purchase of Beef or Flour

December 1

[H. Hollingsworth, Head of Elk, to His Excellency
the Governor in Council.]

Gentlemen According to your letter of the 18^th I have waited
on Col^o Yeates with a copy of your directions regarding the Cattle
in consequence of which he has Vouchsaf'd at last to receive them,
I am sorry it could not have been done Sooner as notwithstanding
my utmost endeavours to keep them up they had fallen off con-
siderably there being Two hundred and thirty of them which are
more then could be properly fed, as to the Horses that were refused
they were sold on the 25^th according to your order of the18^th as
I had advertised them from the time I had called on four Free-
holders to Judge of them (as p my last) and as the day cleared
up we had a very good Sale, to assist which I agreed to take State
money (which is much out of credit here) and also to discount on
the Certificates given on account of debts of this and the United
States, this I did to assist the Sales & that the Creditors might have
the advantage of Buying, on a footing with others, suppose they
had not the money (as their Services merititted it,) the acc^t of
Sales I shall bring down in a few days, I now send with the bearer
Capt. Sam^l Winkett Steer Teams the purchase of Capt Sam^l Gilpin,
and one made up of the Horses which I picked out of the refuse
Horses purchased by this State, the Waggon and Gears bought by
myself, in order to assist to draw feed, and Hay for the State Cattle
and Horses while at this Post, which as they are now removed hope
shall have no further use for them, the Team hired and sent me by
M^r Sam^l Lee of Harford County Col^o Yeates received, but since
returned as being too Expensive to keep in continental Service I
have sent it to Harford to M^r Lee some days since, in order that
any repairs might be made that are necessary, and requested that
they might be sent forward to you as Soon as possible (as it is a
good Team) all other Horses waggons &c^a that I have received