London Jany. 31st 1754

Dr Conway,

I Had yrs of the 19th by last Packet and hope you are all well as you say nothing to the Contrary—I wrote to you about the [illegible] [illegible] which I approved of to which I Referr you—I have not seen Mr Edmondstone since and believe he has not heard from Simon [Haul] I Shall tell him we have broke off with [Mayce] to take his money I had no Letter from the Excy in Jamaica and dont expect any as I wrote last year I should be in america by this Time, nor have I seen [Ever] Since to Know if he had Sold the Sugars and the amount of the Sale, I Sent to Know if there was a Sloop going to Belfast and find [illegible] Sails in 2 or 3 days so have wrote to Gordon by the penny Post and Sent him the Catalogue of Seeds to make them up directly and send them to [Ian] [Rueth] to be shipd for Belfast, and if this [illegible] we have and easterly winds Continue you may have them soon I shall try to get you some Melon Seed which I Shall Send by Post—

You have never told me whether you have got the House [Slated] and whether you will want any Strong Bricks to rebuild the vault, for I can get George Campbell to Send Some over Some from Liverpool in the Ship we will Send to Carrickfergus for [illegible] and any I may Send over. Im afraid that Richd McDowell is dead as the Captain who touchd at new york had such an account there from one who Came there from New Bern; my affairs are not yet Come on at the Board of Trade I expected it on this week but Something relative to Nova Scotia intervend upon Governr. [Hobbins] Coming over which has postponed it, but this Day I Expect that it will be fixt for next Tuesday and once it is begun they will proceed on it till it is over the first thing will be my appointment once that is fixd the Rest will soon be dispatchd—So that you may let Dick Arthur know I shall send him and his Family if he takes them on Campbells Ship I Hear the Ship which left this with my French Families is arrivd at New Bern.

People of Some Fortunes from hence Seem desirous to go over to north Carolina and I have had a Gentleman with me who will undertake to Send over [illegible] for 10 years 1000 [Paliliners] and Germans one third of which will pay their Passage and Carry over Cash and Effects with them and the others will hire themselves out to those who will pay their Passage, or he will Ingage to Carry them at 26 Shillings a head paid by the Colony so that we shall soon settle all our Lands and [promote] our Towns. There are now at New Bern 260 Inhabited Houses; and all our Towns are Increasing and new ones laying out. Our Governrs have got Instructions to repell force with with Force So we shall soon Erect Forts and plant [illegible] the [mountains] in an Extream fine Country finely waterd with the best land in the world—

As to our fresh affairs I wish they may End well, but if Party runs high and they dont Cool Things must turn out ill there, and may will take [illegible] in my Colony, where I shall prepare Settlements for my Friends, give my Love and Compliments as due I am

Dr Conway yr Affectionate Father

Arthur Dobbs