148 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
The following letter is copied from the original, belonging to the 
Askin collection, now in the Archives at Ottawa. The editor is in- 
debted to Mrs. Wilson, wife of the Hon. John Henry Wilson, Senator, 
for the copy of this letter, as well as for that of a subsequent one from 
Talbot to Major-General Brock, dated 27th July, 1812. 
Talbot to Captain James Brock. 
Archives: Askin Collection. 
Port Talbot 23rd May 1812. 
Sir 
In compliance with the directions of His Honor The President, I 
have the honor to enclose for his investigation copies of such documents 
as are in my possession, that can tend to throw light upon the subject 
of the Road, which I am sorry to find has occasioned so much trouble 
to the Executive Council. It is to be lamented that I did not procure 
some written voucher from Lieutenant Governor Gore of his having 
sanctioned my operations; but such a precaution never occurred to me 
as necessary, particularly as I had not any suspicion of leaving the 
Province, besides, I felt quite satisfied that his orders to the Surveyor 
General were conclusive. On perusing the papers enclosed, it will be 
observed, that I was at an early period apprized by Mr. Burwell, that 
some confusion on the subject of His Excellency’s orders had taken 
place in the Surveyor Generals office, and that I lost not a moment, 
in addressing myself to Major Halton and the Surveyor General, 
requesting that the requisite instructions should be furnished Mr. Bur- 
well to enable him to survey and lay out Lots on the Road in question 
and it may naturally be inferred that had His Excellency Lieut. Govr. 
Gore disapproved of my plan and proceedings that he would have 
directed his Secretary or the Surveyor General to notify to me his 
objections. However it was quite otherwise, as shortly after Major 
Halton received my letter of the 1st June 1811. He replied in a 
private letter, (which I regret much not having preserved) “ that 
His Excellency was glad to find that the mistake was rectified in The 
Surveyor Generals office and that Mr. Burwell, had received his instrue- 
iions agreeably to my wishes,” which clearly appears by The Surveyor 
Generals instructions to the Depty. Surveyor. I have made a dash 
with a pencil under the paragraphs that order Mr. Burwell to follow 
my directions in running the line for the Road and for laying out Lots 
upon it. My reasons, for directing the Road to be carried on the 
northern parallel that is marked in the Plan was in consequence of the 
Talbot Road through Southwold being for some distance laid upon wet 
marshy ground as described between Lots number 20 and 29; in fact 
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