July 1st. Mercury at 74 in the Morning—78 at Noon and 80 at Night.
Clear with but little Wind and warm.
Went to Alexandria to a meeting of the Board of Directors, who by Advertisement were to attend this day for the purpose of agreeing with a Manager and two Assistants to conduct the Undertaking of the Potomack Navigation—but no person applying with proper Credentials the Board gave the applicants until thursday the 14th. to provide these & for others to offer.
Returned in the Evening accompanied by Colo. Bassett & Colo. Spait, a Member of Congress for the State of No. Carolina. Fanny Bassett, her Brothers—G. Washington & Betcy & Washington Custis came down to Dinner.
advertisement: The advertisement agreed to at the directors’ first meeting (see 31 May 1785) was printed in newspapers in Alexandria (Va. Journal, 9 June 1785), in Baltimore (Md. Journal, 10, 14, 17, 24 June 1785), and in Philadelphia (Pa. Packet, 22 June 1785). The company also printed handbills to be distributed about the Potomac Valley (GW to James Rumsey, 2 July 1785, DLC:GW).
colo. spait: Richard Dobbs Spaight (1758–1802), later a member of the Constitutional Convention and governor of North Carolina.