To George Washington from Noah Wyeth, 7 December 1795
From Noah Wyeth
New York Decr 7th 1795
Sir
The Bearer hereof Dr Jamerson who was a passenger with me in the Brig Pallas from Leith in Scotland1 will deliver you a small Box, said to containg Views of different Castels in Scotland which was left on board the Brig in my absence—I should be much obliged to you to acknowlede the Rect of them pr Letters as I never sign’d any Bills of Lading for them & if I should return prehaps may be calld on for a Rect.2 I am with respect Your Humble Servt
Noah Wyeth
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. The arrival at New York of the Pallas was reported in The Daily Advertiser (New York) of 21 November.
2. There evidently was a problem with the delivery of this item to GW. On 7 Jan. 1796 John Lamb, the collector at New York, wrote to GW’s secretary Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr.: “Agreably to the requisition, expressed in your favor, of the 4th instant; I have made enquiry respecting Doctor Jameson; who had charge of the Box, which, was sent to the President, in the Brigantine Pallas, Noah Wyeth Master, from the Port of Leith. The Doctor is now here, and has been with me, this Morning; he says, that he left it in charge of a person in Philadelphia, and went to Baltimore; from whence he returned to this City—and supposed it had been sent to the President.
“He sets out tomorrow, for Philadelphia, and will make it a point to deliver it himself, as soon as he arrives there” (DLC:GW).