64 advanced when I rec'd your Letter to comply with the Proposal must defer the Matter 'till another year when perhaps something of the kind might be done to Advantage. I have been almost wholly employ'd the year past in endeavouring to secure the Interest in Corinth and Topsham where every Measure had been taken to defeat your Title. In regard to Topsham, I have a good Prospect of occurring the Title to a considerable Part of your Claim—but with respect to Corinth the Matter is very doubtful and I believe the Chance is to loose the whole unless the old from the original Proprietors under the New Hampshire Patent could be procured. I suppose they were left with Mr. Fanning with the old Charter when the new was taken out according to the Practice at that Time. Taplin is friendly but Moor is taking every Advantage and will get the whole if he can. He has sold a great part of it already, he keeps his Matters very private but I have reason to think he has not those or either of the Charters. I must beg your Attention and Interest with Govr. Fanning to procure those old and the New Hampshire Patent if in his Hand as I think the whole depends upon it. Perhaps it may be best to send a Letter this Way by the Bearer to Govr. Fanning and I will endeavour to convey it to him by some safe Hand. In regard to your Concerns at Rumney, I have frequently consulted Genl. Sullivan and other judicious Persons, and now inclose his Letter in Answer to one I wrote him since the rec't of your last. You will observe it is a delicate point with him on account of his Office of Attorney General which is the reason he don't write you and he is oblig'd by his Office to oppose your restoration to the Privileges of a British Subject, but it is fortunate to have a Friend in that Office. Some other Lawyer must be employed to prefer a Petition to the for your restora¬ tion and when that is obtained the General will join him in endeavouring to recover your Property out of the Hands of those who are endeavouring to defraud you of it. There will be a considerable Opposition on Account of some Persons of Influence at Court who hope to share the Booty if your Property is confiscated. I wo'd recommend John Pickering , Esqr . of Portsmouth for your Lawyer to petition the Genl. Court for your restoration and think it wo'd be best to send him now a particular Power of Attorney for that purpose. The Lawyers now expect very large Fees. The Mortgages you mention will not answer for Fees. Averett has discharged the best of them by your Power which Genl. Sullivan says is legal. Your Estate in Hollandville is exceedingly embarrassed. The Boundaries of the Towns from Connecticut River to have been lately settled by a Committee of the Genl. Court by which Settlement a Part of that Estate falls into Plimouth, and Rumney and Campton are determined to dispute your Title notwithstanding their Votes, supposing that Land can only be conveyed by Deed, and Rumney Proprietors have Actually laid out that Part which lies in their Town and had begun to pitch and make Improvements upon it but I have deter'd them from it for the present. I got the of your undivided Rights in Rumney which were in Averett's Hands and they are on record except one from William Presson which I can't find. There is a considerable Tax laid on the undivided rights in Rumney which must be paid and I am of opinion that there wo'd be a Chance for your holding that Part of Hollandville which falls in Rumney by Virtue of those in Case your other Title sho'd fail. If you desire it I will pay them. I have put Greene and his Family on the Place where Kendal lived to continue there during your Pleasure. I presented the Note I rec'd from you against Nahum Ward for Payment who says it was nearly paid and produced Orders from you for it in favour of McDonough and others. Am very sorry for the loss of your Grass seed, and the more so as I can get none here this year to replace it, have sent by the Bearer who delivered it at to make particular enquiry after it and to purchase more for you on the way if to be had at . Have sent a few Cows to with some Persons here to raise a little Cash for present purposes and sho'd have sent the Oxen (. . . . this line is illegible . . .) to Quebec and that it wo'd be best to defer it 'till another year when I sho'd advise to send a man with them who could make their Tackle and Cart or other Husbandry Tools as their Yoake, etc. cannot be carried with them from home. I find myself subjected to great expense to settle the Towns of Corinth & Topsham and to maintain my Title in those Towns and the State of Vermont propose to regrant those Towns which do not settle awarding to the (. . . this line also illegible . . .) hundred pounds on Interest for five or even three years to enable me the more effectually to support my claim and compleat the Settlement of those Towns. If you will lend it me I will give you my Bond and a Mortgage on the Estate I live on in Haverhill (which is worth four times that sum) in Security. With that sum I would make my estate in Topsham very valuable and it would enable