Robert Carter writes to an Overseer, [August 27, 1729], directing the work on lands near the Frying Pan mines to give him instructions, and to reassure him about his future employment whether or not the mine fails; he plans a visit to the area in a month or so and needs horses.

     Work you set your gang upon will be to Clear & grub your ground [. . .]
Corn field & if you can get a good Piece of Ground for Tobacco too as Certain [. . .]
beginning so Early & with so Large a Strength it will be no uncom [mon thing]
every one tells me, although where the housing Stand there is Not [. . .]
[. . .] ds yet the Soil is of so good a Sort that it will bring Extraord[inary ...]
or Tobacco Either

     I Expect god willing to be up in your parts if I have a tolerable Share
of health about the Middle of Next Month & I have written to Mr. Jones & Mr.
Warner too to arrange for me a Couple of good able Horses for my Occasions
while I am there, for what I know you may be better able to Supply me than
Either of them Large good trotting Horses tht. have Courage Enough & Yet Not
Skittish, Such as I rode of yours last year will please me as well as pacers .
I Reckon I may get other Horses to Tim Dargans, & there I may take yours both
to the Frying pan & to the Landing for if I am able to bear it I propose to
See all them places & Sandy run tract too

     My Son Charles tells me you would be willing to move your
H [ouseho] ld goods & family if you Could be certain of the Continuance of our
[. . .] for more Years than One, but if the Ore Should fail as tht.we have no
[enco] uragement from that it will be a Considerable damage to you to be
[mo] ving again in a twelve Month time, & I must allow that it would be
[...yo] u have no reason to fear a discontinuance from the company bus [iness]
for Severa [ll] years if you will take Care to please us with your diligence & Industry
for if the Ores Should fail us & we Should meet with so much discouragement
to throw up that design we Shall have gone into So Large a Charge & have Land
so Convenient fit for improvement to plant Gangs upon, That you Need not fear
but we Shall lay a foundation to give you A very good employment for many Years
I need say no more of this Matter at present when we Meet this may be talked
at l [ar] ge I am

      [I] have promised my Son to be down here very Soon after him, we are
[in expec] tation of his Coming this Week if he can do what he proposes it's
[certain] we Shall employ him for raising the Ore & Managing tht.
[affair if] you hear he is not Come Away when the Sloop gets up & you have
Opportunity let him know our Expectation if we can agree with him
We Shall be in a fair way of Quickly knowing what is to be Expected
from the Mine

     I believe the best way will be to work Colonel Pages Negroes & my
Son Robins at Frying pan with these people leaving only tht.
Overseer or some Indifferent hand to look after that Plantation
until time for getting Fodder Comes & then Carry a good Gang & get it
in & Stack it at Once & so also in gathering the Corn but these things
I shall leave to your discretion --

      All the ore that is brought down to the landing
while the Sloop is at Occaquan she must bring away [. . .]
Cannot buy 6 horses if you buy 2 or three you will want [fewer]
of mine and the fewer you have the better you must send [Ha] rry
Cain away forthwith to his business letting him only [. . .] re
turn with these People that may be Accompa [nying]
the Oxen