Series 2 > Seafield correspondence from 1685 to 1708

84
CORRESPONDENCE OF JAMES [may
for the rest of it, and will not ingadge with me till it come
vpon the place, that they may sie the sufficiencie of it.
The best beir that is come from our countray is sold at
four pound the boll, and noe readie money. The Orknay
and Cathnes beir is sold for four merks the boll heir, and
is daily falling and espeattie the meall. As for the money
that I have gotten for thes meall, I have it in readines;
and noe thing hinders me now but onlie waiting for that
weshell, and the longer she is comeing vp I fear the mercat
for her loadning will be the worse. I offered it to your
merchants till Mertimes for fyve pounds, and will not
accept of it, and hes taken it to advyse. They alleadge
that ye have gotten a wery great pryce for that fyve
hunder bolls beir, and are repenting wery sore. As for
your meall, I wish it stayed home, although it hade lyen
these four years to come in the girnels. What ye will
ordour me to doe with your moey I have gotten, I shall
obey your Honors comands. As for newes, ther are soe
maney goeing heir that some of them are uncertan; but
yeasterday at Edr and heir all betwixt sixtie and sixtein
were mustered ane myle distant from Edr, and what
the event yrof may prove I can not tell. Ther is a great
talking amongst the Gillichrankies that King James is
landed in England, but noe certantie for it; but yeaster¬
day, after the English fleett sayled from this with the
souldiers, ther went ‘ane express to them, after they were
the length of the mouth of the firth, to land them in the
first English ground they touched at; and if the wind did
not srve them, to come vp and land them heir; and
what the meining yrof is I can not tell. The meall is
compleatlie meassred, and is intaked six firlots and two
pecks less nor the bill of loadning ; and whither it be the
metsters fault or imbazlement in the ship I know not.
I never took such paines in attending said wictuel my
liftyme as I have done this ; and the ingaing and badnes
of the mercat is ane anger and greiff to me ; this being
all at presentt save onlie that I rest, Honored Sir, Your
humble and obedient srvant whill I am
Alexr. Fella.