470 Letters to the Governor and Council

September 1
Red Book
No. 30
Letter 35

flour here then will answer that demand; and find that seventy Bar-
rels of the Pork sent to Duck Creek last May, are there yet, M^r
Morton who went to view it informs me tis good, I have therefore
requested Col^o Yeates to send Teams for it which he is about to do
and eighteen Barrels of Pork, one of Beef and one of Lard, I have
sent a Vessell to Choptank for (with orders to bring the flour also)
this I did rather by water than by land, as all our Teams will be
wanted here, and as those Troops are to go from here by water, if the
provisions should not come in time to this place, they will meet the
Troops on their way down, in which case, I have ordered the Captain
to deliver them to the Commissary attending the Troops, or to M^r
Crisall at your City; and in order to furnish the Troops while they
are here (which must be done with fresh provisions) have called on
M^r Williams, M^r Voorhees, M^r Blake, Bruff and M^r Casson Com-
missarys for Cecil, Kent, Queen Anns, Talbot and Caroline Countys,
for all the assistance they can give in salt provisions, and Cattle on
the Hoof, (M^r Williams promises some here to day) I have also
called on the Commissioners of this County who I expect will meet
to day on the occasion and render their assistance, by which time I
flattered myself of your direction, and assistance, which I shall be
happy to receive, In regard to your requisition in favour of M^r
Ridley, from the reports I have from other Countys, and from what
I have observed in this, the requisition may be readily complyed with
(at a future day,) there being large quantitys of good wheat col-
lected, and Collecting, on State account, this wheat is now chiefly
collected into Mills that have neither water or Casks, which is the
case with almost all the Mills in my district, (at this season of the
year when the streams are Low and the Coopers have been out har-
vesting) I have had applications from Kent, Caroline & Cecil for
Casks, tis well known that empty Cask will not bare carriage any dis-
tance, as the price of carriage would be equal to the Casks, but when
tis considered that those same Casks (if sent) must come back when
filled with an additional Expence, and then be nail'd and Coopered
and the flour not so good as could be wished, I say when this is con-
sidered it must make every one that see it unhappy, In a Mill on the
lower side of this County (in a cercuit I took the other day in quest
of provision) I saw about Seven hundred Bushells of wheat, about
two hundred was old, and the wheat Fly very busy in it (though it
had been good) about five hundred good new wheat laying on the
same floor, and in the same heap with the old, both of which must be
spoiled in a short time by the fly, I asked the Miller why it was not
ground into flour who told me they had not Casks, or water, I then
asked him how many Barrels he could make a week if he had Casks,
he told me not more then twenty, M^r Williams being present I re-
quested that the wheat should be sent by water to me, (the Mill being
not more then a Mile from Navigable) which M^r Williams seemed