64 ORMISTOUN'S LETTERS 



wind rose. It continued so all night with now and then drops 

 of rain but this day pretty good Showers and the wind come 

 cold and full north. However May shine is good and I wish 

 you may have it. 



Sunday night. If you have this rain I hope it will do you 

 some good both as to grass, Corn, Garden and Planting. 

 Should warmth come it will do us good. But all Showers now 

 bring N. or E. Winds. I wish to know when the Carpenters 

 are to begin to cut, and I hope they '1 sell off and not trifle and 

 lose time in cutting and selling. They may soon dispose of 

 the little they have remaining if they please, and the sooner 

 they 1 have their money, a thing they should consider if wise. 

 You tell me you have spoke to them but have you awaked them. 

 If they will still sleep they may depend upon their being waked 

 by Messengers^ very soon after this gets to you, for Mr. 

 Arbuthnot is determined to convince them that he is in 

 earnest. Let me have a guess how soon they '1 be able to sell 

 all. Don't stay for the Saturday's Post, but go about this as 

 soon as it comes to your hand and write by first post. 



How late does the Bark commonly sell well ? Let me have 

 an answer soon. 



So far I went last night. Before I went to bed it began to 

 Snow which it continued doing till 7 this morning and as cold 

 as at Xmas. It is now fair and the Wind rises with Sunshine 

 and the Wind just now at N.W. I don't doubt your having 

 the frost and the cold Winds. I wish you may have had the 

 Wet also. From my Windows I see all the Surry Hills white. 

 The Snow ^ did not lie here, but a little upon north side of 

 Houses and that is gone now at 8 o'clock. If you have had 

 this wet and any calm shall come, I suppose you '1 lose no time 

 in fixing of all trees young and old planted this Winter and 

 doing of it right for it will require care to save them notwith- 

 standing their still appearing fresh. The fences of Eastmost 



1 A hint at legal proceedings. Apparently Mr. Arbuthnot had bought the 

 timber to be cut, and the carpenters, his sub-contractors, were dawdling. 



2 Cf. ' I never did see such a Winter and Spring as this has been' (p. 6i). 

 In Scotland a contemporary says, 'A late winter was accompanied with a terrible 

 frost, which continued to the end of April, no seed being sown till May. Rough 

 and sunless weather prevailed during summer, resulting in a stunted and almost 

 useless crop,' 



