Robert Carter writes to London merchant William Dawkins, January 28, 1724, to report the arrival of a number of ships in the colony and his plans for shipping tobacco. He reminds Dawkins of the clothes he has ordered for his son Robin who had returned from England with no hats or shoes, especially winter shoes. He then writes at length about the text books that he wishes his son Landon to study while at Mr. Low's school, praising "Lillie's grammer" and Comenius' Jannua Linguarum Trilinguis. If Mr. Low cannot make Landon "a perfect Master of this Book in all the three Languages," then he will probably remove Landon to Eton where his grandson, Lewis Burwell, is a student.

     Adam Graves arrived HERE the 8th. Instant I have
Seen him but twice Suppose he writes to You himself, Cant had the
luck to get the Start of him three weeks, had he been as fortunate
his business would have been Easily compassed what it will be now
no doubt he will Inform You, I have not seen him this fortnight
When he came first on shore I told him I had not a hogshead for him
believe I may now find him a little, he speaks pretty peremptorily
that the Carter will not be here this Year, that You were upon
thoughts of Sending Holliday into this river, I shall be glad if
it prove So, These forward Ships will very much drain us, those
that are to come will meet with but poor gleanings, for my
part I cannot promise my Self above thirty or forty hhds. of
leaf Tobacco that will be left out of all my Crops & to Ship oronocco
to London is one way of giving it away, you will have by
Keiling the fifty hhds. You chartered for me, & I suppose all Your
Friends Comply with thiers, Wills Arrived about the same
time the Baily did, & if my If my Intelligence be true will get his
business done in time, I am not without hopes Adam will
do so too, I stayed hovering as long as I dared before I closed
with Cant for Some Freight, & had been Shut out but for Colonel
Page's care of me, Cant has my notes & the Tobacco lies ' ready
but whether he will fetch it I am not certain, I should not
be at all uneasy if I can help Adam with The Baily wth it
I shall be very glad You have an Opportunity of Sending
my Son Robin the supply of some clothes &c which I wrote for
[ ... ] [soo] n after his Arrival for indeed he is very bare, & most

     Charles I am in no doubt of seeing within this
Month or two. You tell me Landon is a hopeful boy, I
could wish Mr. Low had kept in the old way of teaching the
Latin Tongue & had made my Boys perfect in their un=
=derstanding of Lillie's Grammer and of the Old School books
that We and Our forefathers learned, There is one Book
which did me the most service of any that I was Acquainted
with, to wit , the Jannua Linguarum Trilinguis in Latin
English & Greek written by John Comenius, the best Stock of
Latin Words and in the best sense to Suit the Genius of Boys
Even to their Manhood, of any Book that Ever I met with
In my life, It is so very much in my Esteem that I would
desire You to give Positive directions to Mr. Low that My
Son Landon be made a perfect Master of this Book in
all the three Languages, that he may be so perfect to be able
with his Eye upon one of the Languages to repeat the other
it is so pretty a compendium of all the arts & Sciences & written
in so handsome a style to captivate the Genious of Youth, that
I resolve to be pleased in this matter, & am so much fixed in
it that if Mr. Low will not Answer my desire, I will have
my Boy removed to another School & I think if he is, the
next place Shall be to Eton where Lewis Burwell is gone
Mr. Low's School is valueable upon the good & orderly Government
of it, the care he takes of the Boys Moral's but if they do not
meet with a thorough Improvement in their Learning such
as will Stick by them & be useful to them in their riper
Years all our cost is thrown away, & the greatest part of
their work is to do after they have left the School, it is not
reading a few scraps in the Poets & other classics that
makes boys understand the Scope & design of the Authors, I
have had so good a Character of the Genius of Landon in his
Aptness to take learning as well as of the Stength of his
Memory that I have reason to think if he falls into good
hands he may be an Absolute Master of the Languages
before he Arrives to Eighteen Years of Age, He is a Younger
Brother I would make Learning a part of his Portion
which is all I shall say concerning him at present leaving
the rest to Your kind care & consideration.