446 MICHAEL COLLINSON [1770. 



home ; and the poor state of my health, in which I have been for 

 some time, hinders me from thinking of ever returning to America. 

 Indeed, I should not be able to go through the hardships any more, 

 which a faction of ungrateful hearers laid me under. Notwith- 

 standing all this, my heart is always in America; and when I 

 think of my friends there, it makes me wish to be amongst them. 



I wish you and yours all the prosperity which this troublesome 

 life will admit of ; and beg to be kindly remembered to your dear 

 spouse, and all the family, and am, with the greatest sincerity, 

 Dear sir, and beloved friend, 



Your most humble and affectionate servant, 



C. M. Wrangel. 



MICHAEL COLLINSON- TO JOHN BARTRAM. 



Dear Sir : 



Your favour of the 1st November is before me, inclosing the 

 account between yourself and my clearest father, which I find to 

 agree with the account current as per ledger ; and which I have at 

 last been lucky enough to discover. 



I must beg you will let Billy continue the account up to the 

 time of my poor father's decease, I mean as far as he is able, 

 mentioning the number of boxes ordered, and sent ; and if you are 

 furnished with the names of the persons for whom they were 

 designed, I shall be glad to have them. 



I was, my dear sir, so entirely a stranger to my dear father's 

 money affairs, that I positively assure you I was uncertain on 

 which side the balance lay between you. Judge, then, of my 

 amazement, when I discovered by you, and confirmed by the 

 account, which has but just appeared, what an astonishing balance 

 was against me ; and in consequence of the idea I entertained, of 

 something very inconsiderable subsisting betwixt you, I ventured, 

 upon that supposition, long since to settle everything ; and should 

 have been highly obliged to have had earlier information how 

 things stood, soon after the news of my dear father's demise 

 reached Philadelphia ; as very disagreeably, the book which alone 

 could afford matter of information, was unaccountably mislaid at 

 the time of my father's removal from Grace Church Street, and 

 only very lately come to light. 



* The only son of Peter Collinson, the old and faithful friend of John Bartram. 



