of the Council of Maryland. 31

expect to get a great part of the wheat for Certificates provided
they may be discounted out of the last Ten pound Assessment as
well as that payable in November next, the people here have not yet
paid the first for the want of a Collector, the sheriff refused to Act
as he did not get the Law in time and the Commissioners have not
got the Law of last Session Impowering them to appoint a Collector.
I am at a loss what price to allow for wheat, those who have it for
Sale expect the price fixed by the supplement to the Act for the
assessment of property & am willing to take it, shall be much Obliged
for direction.
I have Contracted with some Gentlemen living on the Way for
Wheat who say thev Can only deliver it at their Landings, and as
there is no place there Convenient to Store it or Mills to Grind it,
wish to know if I may engage a Vessell to take it off & what place
to send it to. twould be veryinconvenient to bring it around to
Patuxent. Col^o Fitzhugh has offered to take off what wheat I may
purchase convenient to any Landing on Patuxent, carry it to his Mill
freight free, grind for the Common Toll of 78^ll part Bulk and pack
for half the Bran, & furnish Flour Barrells at eight Dollars each, He
will also Bake if required at £12. p C^t & find Broad Barrells at Ten
dollars each. I think twill be much more advantageous to have the
wheat manufacturd than to Store it and shall contract with the
Colonel to Grind Bolt & pack it unless directed to the Contrary.
I expect to have a Quantity ready in a week or fortnight from this
& more in a Short time after. Will take care to give information
from time to time as requires & be assured that my Endeavours shall
not be wanting to Carry the purposes of the Acts of Assembly fully
into execution.

July 26

[Henry Hooper, Dorchester County, to His Excellency The
governor and council.]
Sir I would begg Leave to inform vour Excellency that there are
several small Tory-Boats cruising in Hoopers Streights and Tangier
Sound they are daily taking some of our Craft am informed that
they plunder our Islands of Cattle and Sheep I have sent Capt Smoot
with a Party of Militia in quest of these Banditti but from the Want
of a proper Boat I am apprehensive he will not be able to effect any-
thing; Wicomoco and Nanticoke Rivers are intirely block'd up by
these Pickaroons. If your Excellency would be pleased to dispatch
one of the State Boats to Hooper's Streights to Act in Consort with
Cap^t Smoot I think they may probably capture some of these Pirates.
If there should be any swivel Guns and Ball at Annapolis you
could Spare I should be glad your Excellency would be pleased to
order about four of them with some Ball to be sent over in my Boat
which carries the Soldiers to Annapolis I think by arming a Boat
with there swivels when ever there might be Occasion that we may
be able in some measure to keep our Coast clear of these pirates One

July 26