doing such generous things. I shall have occasion to mention this
brother Paddy again: I wish you knew him!
    I think you will believe me when I say, that although the
things you have sent me, were those that I was most in want of
yet would I rather have received a ^ ^long letter from you, telling me of
your situation and prospects, than the whole of them. Why my
good friend, did you not write a letter, accompanying yours to
M^r Campbell, he could at least as easily have sent that as
what I have now received.
    I am much in hopes, that a letter which I wrote to you
in April last by M^r Ferguƒson of the Rebecca, is received before
this. It was a long letter, and would explain to you my ideas
and prospects, ^ ^wishes principally relative to the country trade in In-
-dia. I requested an answer to be directed to me at the Cape,
and a duplicate of it to be sent to England should it be
very material. I now hope that the latter has taken place, for
the time of our sailing for England has now been so long pro-
-tracted, that we cannot go into Table Bay; and therefore S^t
Helena is the place we touch at for water. From thence how-
-ever, I shall write to the Cape, begging to have all letters for
me sent on to England. The main purport of my letter to you
was to ask you how far I might ^ ^benifit myself by entring [sic] into the
Country service, and to beg of you to gain information upon that lead
for me. But in addition to that letter, I ought now to inform you,
partly that you may not think yourself the only decent good Irishman in the world
that a gentleman, who is no other than the brother Paddy be-
-fore mentioned, has, upon certain ^ ^{very liberal} conditions, given me the com-
-mand of a sum of money upon our arrival in England, which
will enable me to enter upon certain speculations and give me
the command of a ship. Should not my own service present some-
-thing more desireable [sic], this is to be my future plan, of which,
if your letter in England informs me where to direct, I shall
write you more particularly if ^ ^on its taking place; nevertheleƒs,
your information relative to the Country service will be very