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102 been pleased to confer on them which they intend to do themselves the honour of acknowledging by Letter to your Ldp.

The Trustees of the Charity School about to be established in Talbot County gratefully accept your Ldps proposals & are preparing a thankfull Address for the most kind Testimony of your Ldp s Approbation. . ..

I am sorry at being unable to put the Scheme your Ldp : was pleased to intimate for compleating the Governour's House in execution ; for want of being covered the House is now reduced to so bad a State (the Timber work being mostly wasted & demolished) that less than ₤300 or ₤400. will not put it in the Condition it was left in by the workmen, & I apprehend to perfect it would require as many Thousand, so large a sum it is impracticable to raise by Lottery in these parts where it is with the greatest Difficulty that ₤100 or ₤200 can be raised by that method for executing any work of the most general Utility. . ..

I met the Assembly the 25th of March upon the Business that was mentioned in my Letter dated the io th of Feby the Contents of which I hope e'er this your Ldp is acquainted with, but neither my utmost Efforts or the Example of the Virginians who had just then granted the Sum of ₤10,000 for that purpose could induce them to make the least Provision for the Encouragement of the Ohio Expedition. . . . I have taken an Opportunity since my arrival of visiting Baltimore which indeed has the Appearance of the most increasing Town in the Province, tho it scarcely answered the Opinion I had conceived of it : hardly as yet rivaling Annapolis in number of Buildings or Inhabitants ; its Situation as to Pleasantness Air & Prospect is inferior to that of Annapolis, but if one considers it with respect to Trade, The extensive Country beyond it leaves no room for Comparison ; were a Few Gentn of fortune to settle there & encourage the Trade it might soon become a flourishing place but while few beside the Germans (who are in general Masters of small Fortunes) build & inhabit there I apprehend it cannot make any considerable Figure. . ..