Your forbearance is but a continuing proof of that goodness I have so long experienced in you & admired— to relate all the causes of my Silence & omission to give you the necessary information upon the points stated so long ago to me, would swell this letter, without convincing you more thoroughly than I trust you now are, that want of friendship for you had no hand in producing it.

When you send me the Auditors Account of the taxes due on my land in Kanhawa County, be so good as to forward, at the same time, Genel Lee's Deed of conveyance to me, of two tracts of land in the State of Kentucky, one for two, and the other for 3000 acres. They were, I believe, included in one Deed of Bargain and Sale, and recorded in the General Court Office. It is the original Deed I ask for.

     We are all well, and send best wishes to you, and yours. I am your sincere friend and Affectionate Uncle

     I have at length procured from the Auditors office a rough Statement of Yr Taxes in Kanawa for the 6 years mentioned in Aldersons order, by which you will discover that they differ £1.11.7 from the amount there stated. But as the difference is trifling, and the Auditor may very probably have made a mistake in the calculation (for he did it in a hurry) it would probably be better to pay it, (tho' too much) than run the risque of a forfeiture or having them sold.

     A few days after the receipt of your letter of the 10th last Month enclosing some orders for me to collect for you, my young Man sat off for Westmoreland, and has not yet returned, which put it out of my power to have them presented; but as soon as he returns <th>at business shall be attended t<o>— I should have presented them myself, had my wife's Situation permitted me to leave her; but I trust I shall not be long confined on her account, as she was delivered on Sunday last of a Girl & both are doing well— The order you gave on Thos Paten has been mi

     I have inclos'd you the 50 dollar bill which Neale paid for my Tobo—& shall thank you to pay out of it my Tax at court today— I thought that your purse was low as well as mine now is—the inclos'd being the last of my treasure— I have just paid Mr B. Lee near ten pounds for fodder bought last winter God bless you & yrs.

Great Kanhawa. Fincastle County

10990 Acrs. Near the mouth thereof. Granted by Letters Patent to George Washington the 15th day of December 1772. and confirmed after the Revolution, by other letters Patent the 6th of July 1784, in consequence of a friendly Petition for the same, by Burwell Bassett Esqr. for the non-performance of the act requiring certain improvements.

7276 acs. Higher up the Kanhawa, Granted to George Washington & George¹ Muse as above, on the 1st day of Decr 1773 and said to lye in the County of Botetourt.

     Your favor of the 18th I duly recieved. I could not obtain from the Auditors Office the information you desire, so as to communicate it by this post, nor do I expect to recieve it for some days— The Auditor promises to give it me as soon as his other business will permit, which he thinks will be in the Course of a week or ten days, observing at the same time that you cannot be injured by the delay. You may depend upon my attention to the business, and of hearing from me the moment I have it in my power to afford you the desired information.

     In tracing the title of the protestant Episcopal Church to the Glebes, churches, and other property appertaining thereto I do not deem it necessary for its advocates to rely upon the laws which passed upon the subject posterior to the formation of our constitution.

Your letter of the 26th Ulto came safe in the usual course of the Mail, and about a week ago Mrs Forbes arrived; and from her appearance, and conduct hitherto, gives satisfaction to your Aunt. Having, as she says, obtained ten dollars of you, to defray her expences to this place; I herein return them, with thanks for the aid it afforded to get her here. and as you may have paid for the copies of sundry papers taken from the Records of the General Court, let me know the amount, and it shall be remitted also.

I was very much surprized yesterday, to meet with Mrs Forbes at my office.

     I had no doubt of her having been long since at Mount Vernon.

Your letter of the 13th instt has been duly received, as I believe all your Others have.

     I forget whether I informed you in my last letter that a Copy of the decree which I then enclosed, was to be served upon the defendants who are of full age & upon the Guardian of the infants— This must be done, and notice of the Survey must also be given.

     I have examined the records in the General Court office which contain the writs of ad quod damnum & the Inquisitions returned thereon.

     I have conversed with Mr Brooke respecting Mrs Forbes and am enabled to give you the following history of that person— She is a widow—a Native of England & without a family—about 50 yrs of age—active & spirited in the execution of her business—sober & honest—well acquanted with Cookery & in his opinion capable of ordering & setting out a table. her appearance is decent & respectable & such is her general deportment.

     Although my beloved Bushrod I have not time to say much, yet I know a line or two will give you much happiness when coming from a mother whose greatest wish is the welfare of her dearest Children— I have been only twice at this place since I return'd from Selby & then for no more than three days— Col.

     Your letter of the 30th Ult. was received by the last Post.

     Your Aunts distresses for want of a good housekeeper are such, as to render the wages demanded by Mrs Forbes (though unusually high) of no consideration; and we must, though very reluctantly, yield to the time she requires to prepare for her fixture here. We wish however that it might be shortned.

     I went in pursuit of Mrs Forbes this morning, but could not find her— with the assistance of Mr Brooke I obtained an interview with her this evening at his house. her price is $150 a year— She will be at Mount Vernon in a month from this time, if her terms are accepted— sooner she cannot go.

Your several letters—Opinion—and Copy of the Deed to William Williams for 589 Acres of Land have been duly received—and for which I offer you my best thanks.

     It is a little singular that the proceedings for docking the Intail of the above mentioned Land, should not be found among the Records of the General Court, or in the Secretary's Office, from whence it issued, and to which it most assuredly was returned.

     Your letter of the 23d I yesterday recieved. I waited upon Mr Brook today to make the necessary enquiries respecting Mrs Forbes. The Character he gives her, assures me that she will fully answer the purposes for which my Aunt wants her. She is honest, industrious, & well acquainted with nice as well as common Cooking, and other subjects of domestic employment necessary in her profession. But what surprizes me very much is, that she has recieved no letters from Mount Vernon—so Mr Brook informs me, & that she has remained in Richmond on that account.

     I now enclose you a Copy of the Grant you wrote for. The Inquisition cannot be found. I have directed the Clerk to continue his search, and if he should succeed, a Copy shall be immediately forwarded. if you can give a more particular description of it, from any papers in your possession, it may assist in the discovery. with love to my Aunt I am my dear Uncle Most Sincerely Yr Affect. Nephew

     A Mrs Forbes, who was Housekeeper to Governor Brooke, has been strongly recommended by his brother Mr John Brooke to Mr Anderson (my Manager) as a person who would answer my purposes well— She has been written to once or twice, and no answer is obtained.

     I now enclose you my opinion upon the points stated in your letter of the 9th.

     As you may possibly wish to submit it to the consideration of your Counsel, I have left out of it, such parts of the subject as are unconnected with the cause, & need only be communicated confidentally to yourself.

     In 1762 Simon Pearson being seized of an estate in fee tail in 178 acres conveyed the same by deed of Bargain & Sale to George Washington Esq. with a general warranty, having first sued out a writ of ad quod damnum for the purpose of docking the intail, and which was regularly executed according to Law, unless the following objections to it, should be deemed valid. 1.

     I am sorry to inform you that I have been very unsuccessful in collecting the money for the drafts you enclosed me some time ago— Mr Lampkin & myself have frequently made application, but always met with a put off from some of them— Messr Patton & Dykes paid their £7 on the 3d this Month, and John Mandeville his £12 yesterday— Thos Patton says he paid Mr Swan £7 by your order and only owes £7 now, which he promises to pay between this and Monday next— McPherson always makes fair promises, but holds back the money, I pushed him very hard yesterday, & mean t

     Mr Thomas Pearson, heir intail to Simon Pearson his brother, has brought suit in the Court of this County for the lands which the latter sold to Willm Triplett, George Johnson & myself, five & thirty years ago.