[From Atholl Papers - AP X25-36]

[Report by Gov Lindsay] ]No 19 [September 3^d 1747]

May it please your Grace

By my last of August 27th I sent your Grace copies of a leter from the Captn of the Wolfe. his obligement [] of his men and the bill for their maintenance, the copies of Mr Colquits letter to me & my answer, Mr Mercer letter and my answer; Also an account of the state of our cash that your Grace might send a messenger with an order to receive it, I think, as I then said, it may be about £1000 sterling! - and two days after this letter was sent of, I had the honour of your Gracees letter of Aug 8th that you had write to Mr Sharp to advise the Solicitor genrl upon those affairs which desrve your Grace's most serious consideration. From several circumstances I suspect those violent infringements which have been made on your Graces rights here, must be countenacyd by some persons in power who have an evil eye towards us. For altho the Capt of the Wolfe (who I hear is a young man and his master a low bred tar) might have mistaken & exceeded their orders, yet whereas? who has been [] about this Isle so many years, must know so much of yje privileges of this Isle in general as not to have adventured upon so bold a stroke unless he had assurance of being supported. He condemns the conduct of the Wolfe [] and sayes if he had done? halfe so much they would have ruined him; and yet (excepting the robing the fishing boat of her macrel) his own act was a more flagrant breach of your Graces privileleges than anything the Wolfe has done, As it apears by the masters protest, of which a copie shall be sent to your Grace, as soon as he is allowed by his employers to release it.

This is certainlie an afair of great delicacie, which requies a most serious atention; for on the one hand if your Grace should put up with this wrong, there is an end of all your rights and privileges of this Isle, which are as well ascertained to your Grace, as any private right can be secured by act of parliament, and of consequenc that branch of your revenue arising from the duties of goods imported must [] of: On the other hand should any complaint be publicklie made, and no effectual redress obtained the effect will be the same. Therfor your Grace will no doubt (before any complain is regularlie entered) use the proper means to be assured of such an intrest as will suport it, to prevent any future infringements od your Graces rights by such lawless abuses of power.

We have just heard that a sloop in balast from Ramsey to Kircubright, was taken by the Wolfe as she was entering that harbour. David Forbes & his wife who was going to see her father Mr Heran? were passengers. The sloop was carried to Whitehaven where all aboard were made prisoners; we have yet no more particulars, but that the sloop had 10 ankers of brandy on board and that Mr Forbes knew nothing of it - All business here is at a full stop, & likely? to continue so; until the people know what is to be [] of these violent & unprecedented proceedings.

I am with great respect, & most sincere esteem ..

G Lindsay

Castletown September 3^d 1747