Some time in April last I had the honor of addressing a Letter to you giving a particular account of the situation of Royal Gift, together with Mr Freazer’s account of his covering, which left a balance in your favor, of six hundred & seventy eight Dollars & 64/100, after deducting James Allen’s charge, which was enclos’d in a Bill drawn by Prestman & Calhoun of Charleston upon Wm Bell of Philadelphia.1 Some weeks thereafter I forwarded a duplicate with the second Bill: as I have not receiv’d an answer to either of those Letters it leaves me in doubt whether both have not miscarried.2 In the Letters to which I have alluded I inform’d you that Royal Gift had been affected with a stiffness in his joints & a periodical lameness ever since his arrival in this Country which I believed to be the effects of his Journey, & am now sorry to add that his situation at present is not better & am apprehensive that it never will. Upon minute enquiry I have only been informed of two Foals which were produced from forty odd Mares & Jennies which were sent to him the Season before last. Under these circumstances I thought it prudent to lower the Terms of covering, but it did not answer the desired effect, only fifteen or sixteen Mares & Jennies were sent to him, all the property of those Gentlemen who had been disappointed the Season before.3 The Money has not yet been paid & I now submit to you the propriety of demanding it except for those which shall eventually prove in foal.

If you think proper to let Royal-Gift remain in this Country I shall with pleasure take charge of him & consult your interest in the management of him, but am confident that it will be useless to advertise him for covering again in this Country, even at a very reduced price unless a great alteration takes place in his situation. If you think proper to have him sent to Virginia he must be conveyed by Water as I am certain that he cannot travel thither by land.4 I am Sir with the greatest Respect & Regard Yr Very Obedt Serv.