Robert Carter writes London merchant Thomas Corbin concerning various problems, including tobacco sales, of the estate of Ralph Wormeley, for which he is one of several trustees. He reports that he is shipping 12 hogsheads of tobacco, and will ship more, all for the sale and benefit of the estate. He thanks Corbin for sending news, comments on the lamentable death of King William and expresses the hope that the nation will prosper under Queen Anne, especially in the fighting with France.

     Your Letters by Burford Lurthing , Trajan , Tayloe & the last of [them]
by Captain Dove are Come to hand, In one of them you tell me
you sold the Ten hogsheads of tobacco sent you per [Captain John] Gallon at 9 [d]
and that you would in Due Time send me an Account , But sin [ce I]
have seen no such Thing, for the Tobacco went out of
York River to you, I never heard yett what became o [f it]
You tell me you had sent the Rings I had Written for, I [had]
One of them from Colonel Jenings , the Rest he hath [dis]
posed of. I know We have all an equal power in Re [gard]
of the Estate and in Regard there are so many Concer [ned]
Could Wish I was fairly Discharg'd, having business enou [gh of]
my Own to Imploy my Thoughts upon, The Chiefest of t [he]
Trouble hath yet lain upon me, and while I Contin [ue]
to Intermedle in shipping the tobaccos, Sending for [pro]
-vision any Goods with the &c.as I must Expect the [men]
I Correspond with send their Accounts and Invoices [that]
I may Discharge myself fairly, as far as I shall [my]
self to the Children when they Come of Age, & they [ . . . ]
Desire, that the Tobacco I sent to you last year, and w [ould send]
hereafter to you with the necessarys I shall from ti [me to time]
Write for, may be still accountd. for to me
I must be so Free to say shall Decline any further [to concern]
myself with the Estate, or shall apply my self to over
take their Methods; I shall always be most Ready [to account]
to the Rest of the Trustees of my proceedings, as I hope [they will]
do to me I have no Other Design
but the Service of the Children
wth:out the least appearance
of any profit to myself
for all my Trouble,
and therefore have all
the Reason in the World to take Care not
to Intangle
my own Concerns The Tobacco that went to Mr. Lee & Mr. Mathews [sold?]
none under 09 pence 3/4 The most at 10 pence some at 10 pence 1/2.

     This Encloses a bill of Lading for Twelve hogsheads of Toba [ccoe be]
-longing to that Estate shipp'd on board the abram John [Street]
Commander bound for London , Consignd to you for sale to
the Account & risk of the Infant Executors Desire you will pa [y]
the Bill of Exchange I have Drawn for the Impost.

      Captain Tayloe Arriv'd so late that We w [ere]
Suspicious of his Coming and Freight being very s [carce]
at One Time, I was glad to secure as much as I Co [uld]
for the Estate, and had shipped all the Tobacco made, be [fore]
the Corbin came in, All the Tobacco made in York River th [is]
year will be Consign'd to you, Should be glad you will [let]
me know how the accounts Current will Stand between you [and]
Esqr. Wormeleys Estate.

     I thank you for your kind Entertainmts. of News from Time to Time is
very satisfactory to Us, in this Melancholly Corner of the World
pray God make up our Loss in the Death of King William
the best of Princes & Best of Men, and Prosper Our Arms,
by sea and Land, That We may Retrieve the antient Glory
of the English Nation and that France may be so lowerd
no longer to be the Dread of her Neighbours a Work I hope
Design'd by Heaven to a Grandize to posterity the Name
of Our Glorious Queen Ann, Little News hence but We hope
these Troubl'd Waters will Afford us a good price for Our tobacco
I am Sir,