The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

330 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [AET. 27.
TO ROBERT CARY, LONDON.
Virginia, 12 June, 1759
SIR,
In a letter which I wrote you the 1st of last month,
was enclosed an invoice of sundries, which I then was
and still am much in need of. If those goods should
not be shipped before this letter gets to hand, pray add
to your purchase the things, which you will find on the
other side, and send them as there directed.
I shall find occasion to write you fully by the fleet,
and shall enclose a list of sundries, that will be wanted
for the estate's use. Till then I shall forbear to trouble you with particulars, as I shall expect also by that
time to receive some account of the sales of the estate's tobacco sent you, and an account current. As
this last is necessary for me to compare with my own
account, in order to a satisfactory settlement with our
General Court, I entreat you to be punctual in sending
me one every spring and fall yearly.
I shall keep the estate under the same direction as formerly, neither altering the managers, the kind of tobacco,
nor the manner of treating it, unless you advise otherwise
exportation, to palm sometimes old and sometimes very slight and indifferent ones upon us, taking care at the same time to advance ten, fifteen, or
perhaps twenty per cent upon them."
" And here I cannot forbear ushering in a complaint of the exorbitant
prices of my goods this year. For many years I have imported goods
from London, as well as other ports of Britain, and can truly say I
never had such a pennyworth before. It would be a needless task to enumerate every article that I have cause to except against. Let it suffice to
say, that the woollens, linens, nails, &c., are mean in quality, but not in
price, for in this they excel. Indeed they are far above any I ever had.
It has always been a custom with me, when I make out my invoices, to
estimate the charge of them. This I do for my own satisfaction, to know
whether I am too fast or not, and I seldom vary much from the real prices;
but the amount of your invoice exceeds my calculation about twenty-five
per cent, and many articles not sent that were ordered."