Brusnwick Feby. 9th 1761—

Dr Colen,

I Have had so large an Intercourse and Correspondence by letters and dispatches public and private, and So great an undertaking in finishing and revising my Essay upon the grand Plan of precedence, and dissertations annexed to it which thank God I have now ready for the Press, and what has taken up all the Time I had to Spare from the public Business, that I Have had little time to spare to write to my other good friends and particularly to you—and I am now very busy in answering the dispatches and orders which I have just received from England to proclaim his present Majesty whom God long preserve that I have scarce time to write to my friends as I expect the Ship will Sail to morrow who carries my answers and dispatches—

This is principally to desire that you will draw up proper conveyances and assignments pursuant to the powers reserved to me in conways marriage settlements to rule the Lease reserved in the Settlement for my son Neds portion and have desired him to Assign over to my Brother dobbs his Title to that Sum upon his assigning to him the securities and Lease of the Kildare Bags which he has in mortgage for payments of £1200 I had from my mother as I have orderd Sam Smith to pay him the difference of £200 when he asignes his securities to my son Ned I Have wrote several Letters to Conway, Ned and to the dealer upon it as he will take that scarcly better than the dreaming on improving the Bags which I Expect will turn to good account when the canal is finished to the Shannon as it runs so near to my Bags the carriage of Furse to dublin will be a great Improvement to the Bags and have directed them to employ you in transferring the summs and securities necessary and if anything further is requisite for me to do I will do it, and shall pay the Interests to Ned during my Life which will be no addvance Charge to Conway—as I propose to give Ned all I have a title to in this province except what I design to my daughter Ryder.

I Had a Letter some time ago from my friend Mrs. Ann: Cath: Graves to enquire about her Brother in Law Mr Graves who has recommended to me here all I could do for him was to give him a Commission in the provincials and upon the Troops being broke, My nephew Spaight made him deputy to him as County Clerk in Cumberland County, which will be improving daily he was lately with me and found none of the letters he wrote home ever came to Hand. I told him when he again wrote I would inclose it with my Letters. He thinks if what is due to him of his portion was remitted to him in a good assortment of Linnen it would enable him to set up a store here which is the most profitable thing going here Except the Law when qualified for it. This I desire you may acquaint Mrs. Graves with and probably she may have a Letter soon from him he behaves very well and has a very good Character and I find understands his Business.

I find many of our good friends are gone to their Everlasting Escalations, and have reason to Thank God for Sparing me so long among so many Contemporaries as to Enable me with Health and memory sufficient as to finish what I had engaged in and to live to see my long proposed plan of driving the French of this continent and I hope out of America I may say accomplished, nothing being now wanting to buy within but Mississippi and their islands and the opening the Hudsons bay Trade which I think must immediately fall in our great acquisitions when the cluching and connecting those Countries will be soon in our power and what is a great addition to my pleasure is that I Have been Instrumental in so soon entring into this American War by my force placing with Mr. Henburg the grant to the Ohio Company which was the means of bringing on the war before the French were prepared to begin their attack against our Colonies and according to my Explanations of the Prophecies all these Surprizing Events coincide with all the Prophecies at this Surprizing Era, as the Time of the End approached and the dawn of the Philadelphia Church and Sabbatic millenium is far advanced.

I am glad to find by Mr. Macquire that my good friend the ArchBishop of dublin is still in good health and Spirits give my duty to his Grace and Compliments to all my friends. I thank God my Health continues at my time of Life and this has been the most sickly season ever Known in this Province and many taken off almost all our Cattle are destroyed in the southern part of the province by the fatal distemper brought in to South Carolina by a raw Hide those who have had Many hundred have not then left. I can scarce get Milk t my Tea but I hope it is now over for want of Fuel we find it those which have recoverd it do not take it again. I am dear Colen

yr. affectionate Humble Servant

Arthur Dobbs

I am obliged to seal with Good wax having scarce Enough to sign my Letters to the Governor only