Edward Randolph letter to William Blathwayt, 1692 January 1

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I heartily wish you & all your Children many & many happy new yeares
I haue travelled thro my whole destrict from the province of Maine to Roanoak
in North Carolina & visited all the Collectors. by the next I shall present you with
a perticuler of my proceedings therein. I waited vpon Collonell ffletcher in my
return from Boston. he is a very reserued Gentleman he told me Sr. Edmund Andros
was (as he beleiued) never Guilty of an Immorrall thing. but perceiue there
was no hearty good Correspondence betwixt them ; at his going aboard from New york
Governor ffletcher waited vpon ^him to his pinnace but fired not One Gunn: which was
taken notice off by all. & discoursing here with Sr. Edmund he very much inconve
nienced himselfe at sea parting with his halfe of the Great Cabin, & in
a standing Cabin in the steerage that Collonell ffletchers family might not bee
streightned, and as Sr. Robert Southwell desired was very ffree in discourse
informing of the state & persons fitt to be trusted in New york.

I am endeavourging to gett a sloope to lye off in the Bay (the Henry prize
frigott being layd vp at Old point Comfort for want of Cables & Anchors) to seize
vpon the illegall Traders before they gett into Maryland: where they find protection

Copyes of the Order in Councill relating to Bulke tobacco are sent to some in
this province & Maryland, which will hardly amount to a Law in the latter, because
because it will very much lessen Governor Copleys profitts which arises vpon the number
as well as tonnage of shipping. I intend to trye once more what he will
say to your Deputation & wheither I may act as therein directed : I haue found
severall Certificates in my survey at Boston etc. signed by Mr Blackiston &
an account made vp by Mr Mein in 1688: that he is about 1000lb: indebted to their
Majesties vpon the duty of 1 : penny per pound. vpon tobacco: I am directed by my Instructions
to suppend an Officer for neglect etc: but with the approbation of the Governor I shall
see how Governor Copley will manage in that affaire. I haue mett with seuerall
Grosse mistakes in some other Officers which I haue not now tyme to remember.
them to you: I take all care I can to haue ready for the next shipping your pine
Ceder & black walnutt planke. I humbly intreat the Continuance of your. favour
& protection against the litle contrivances of some in Maryland who are become
my open Enemyes because I disturb their trade by seizing illegall Traders .
and remain in all Duty

Mr Sherwood
giues your his
humble seruice:

my humble Duty to the Earle of Rochester. I heartily
rejoice to heare his Lordshipp is at the Councill Table.

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to the Honorable
Mr Blathwayt
at Whitehall

Virginia
1 January 1692/3
From M Randolph

He is endeavouring to get a sloop
to Cruise instead of the Henry prize

Pine, Cedar, black Walnut
by the next shipping