After Tea, if the studies you are engaged in require it, you will, no doubt perceive the propriety and advantage of returning to them, until the hour of rest. Rise early, that by habit it may become familiar, agreeable, healthy, and profitable. It may for a while, be irksome to do this, but that will wear off; and the practise will produce a rich harvest forever thereafter; whether in public, or private walks of Life. Make it an invariable rule to be in place (unless extraordinary circumstances prevent it) at the usual breakfasting, dining, and tea hours. It is not only disagreeable, but it is also very inconvenient, for servants to be running here, and there, and they know not where, to summon you to them, when their duties, and attendance, on the company who are seated, render it improper. Saturday may be appropriated to riding; to your Gun, and other proper amusements. Time disposed of in this manner, makes ample provision for exercise and every useful, or necessary recreation; at the same time that the hours allotted for study, if really applied to it instead of running up and down stairs, and wasted in conversation with any one who will talk with you, will enable you to make considerable progress in whatever line is marked out for you, and that you may do it, is my sincere wish. *To GUSTAVUS SCOTT Mount Vernon, January 8, 1798. Dear Sir: Your letter of the 21st Ulto. from Annapolis, has given me the pleasure of knowing that the State of Maryland continues to act like itself, in granting a loan to carry on the Public buildings in the Federal City. Another object of equal 1798] A LAND MATTER 119 importance to it, the Navigation of Potomac, lays claim to its attention, and I hope will meet with equal success. By a notification in the Gazettes, I perceive a general meeting of the Potomac Company is requested in George Town on the second thursday in February. If nothing unforeseen happens to prevent, I expect I shall have the pleasure of seeing you on that occasion. With great esteem etc. *To ALEXANDER SPOTSWOOD Mount Vernon, January 9, 1798. Dear Sir: A few days ago, Mr. Herbert handed me your letter of the 30th. Ulto. with the Papers to which it refers; and for the trouble you have had in that business, I offer you, and General Posey also, when you have an opportunity of presenting them, my best thanks for the parts you have respectively acted therein. Having perused the Papers attentively, and, fortunately, having by me, the original Patents which were granted to Doctr. Skinner, with the original surveys also, which were made for John Sanders, on which the Patents for 2000 and 3000 acres issued to the Doctor, I have been enabled to discover to my entire satisfaction, that I am not at all affected by Mr. Stephens's entry, Survey, or present claim. It appears by the Surveys (two of them for 2000 Acres each, returned on the same sheet of paper, one dated the 20th and the other the 24th of Feby 1784) that the tract of 3000, and the lower survey of 2000 Acres on rough Creek (the two for which Doctr. Skinner obtained Patents, and is now held by me, in virtue of my purchase from Genl. Lee), are too remote from Mr. Stephens's Survey to be injured by it. How far his claim may affect the upper Survey made for Sanders of 2000 Acres, I know not; nor is it necessary for me to enquire having no interest therein. But to place the matter in a more perspicuous point of view, I have, from the surveys above mentioned, laid the three tracts down in a connected form, by which it will appear at the first glance, that it is the upper tract only (to whom belonging I know not) which can come in contact with Mr. Stephens land: and as that Gentleman is unknown to me, and you have correspondents, or acquaintances in that Country, through any one or another of whom you could inform him of the real state of the case, I would thank you for giving him these explanations that neither he, nor I may be embarrassed hereafter in the disposition of our Lands. I have not retd. the Papers which you sent me by Mr. Herbert; but if you should be of opinion that they will be useful in explaining matters more fully to Mr. Stephens, they can be sent to you by the first Post after notice thereof is given to me. My best regards, in which those of Mrs. Washington and the family are united, are presented to Mrs. Spotswood and all with you, and I am etc. *To ALEXANDER SPOTSWOOD (Confidential) Mount Vernon, January 9, 1798. Dear Sir: The attention which the Papers you transmitted, required I should give them, and the form which my land assumed by connecting the two tracts together, evinces most clearly, the necessity there is of my becoming possessed of Andrew Wodrows 300 Acre tract, which is surrounded thereby, if attainable. If you can, therefore, be instrumental in making the purchase on my behalf, it would render me an acceptable favour. The price (but this under the rose) must not be regarded, 1798] NEWS OF LAFAYETTE 121 unless in comparing it with that of the circumjacent lands, and other circumstances, it should appear enormous. I could wish however (if an opportunity offers) that you would talk with, or write to, Major George Lewis on this subject; because, as he was authorised at least two years ago to make this purchase for me, there might be an interference, between your Agent and his, that might serve to enhance the price, and render the purchase more difficult. If you recollect the width, and kind of Navigation at, and from these lands of mine to the Green River, and have heard how it is from thence to the Ohio, I would thank you for information respecting them: And if you know what sort of land lyes opposite to mine, on the North side of rough Creek; to whom it belongs, and at what price it probably could be bought; I would thank you for information on this head also. To add, by a line from D to G, all the land with in, would give shape, as well as quantity to my lands; and secure the entire command of the Water, of the Above Creek, (if Wodrows land be purchased) for more than Six Miles. With very great esteem etc."1 TO SAMUEL WILLIAMS 72 71 Mount Vernon, January 10, 1798. Sir: Your letter of the 5th of Oct, from Hamburgh, has been received, giving me the first direct and certain account of the arrival of General Lafayette and family at that place; a circumstance highly pleasing to his friends in this country, to none more than myself; and for the prompt advice you have been so obliging as to give me of it, I pray you to accept my sincere thanks. "From a photostat of the original in Cornell University Library. "United States Consul at Hamburg, Germany. Fortunate indeed was it for him and family that they did not (according to what has been reported to have been their intention), embark in the ship John, which was lost on the coast of New Jersey, and the passengers with great difficulty, and at the utmost peril of their lives, saved. It may be fortunate too on another account; the delay may give a chance to meet his son in Europe; whose ardent desire, fanned by premature accounts of their actual liberation, could no longer be restrained from flying to the expected embraces of his parents in Paris, to which place he was informed they were journeying, through Italy. He left New York the 26th of October, in the ship Clio, for Havre de Grace, and probably would have (at that season) a short passage. I am, etc.7 78 *To BURWELL BASSETT Mount Vernon, January 10, 1798. Dear Sir: Your favor of the 22d Ulto. came duly to hand. As Mr. Burwell is disinclined to part with his Cook, and Colo. Finnie's" is too much incumbered with a family, I must make the best shift I can with those I have; and indeed, with a housekeeper that understands that business, I believe it is best that I should do so. As you kindly offered to become the purchaser of Corn for me, in case I should need any for my Distillery, I now request the favour of you to procure, and send me (not of the gourd seed kind) a Vessel load, say from five to twelve hundred bushels, so soon as all danger of the River, freezing, is over. I shall be enabled, I expect, to pay for the Corn on delivery; but a month or two after, would suit me better. I had rather the Vessel should have no Corn in it but mine; and I expect the price 73 From the printed text in the Historical Magazine (1860), vol. 4, 179. "Col. William Finnie. |