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care for my enemies or for every thing they can dare or say it is behind my back that they fight and talk for none of them dare meet me face to face -- It is to you Sir I look for Directions and for protection when I am doing my duty agreeable to your Directions and this you may depend I will do to the best of my ability in defiance of all the threats of [one illegible struck through] those lumber thieves and those that assist them --

I hope Sir you will have the goodness to write me a few lines of Directions on the receipt of this letter it will be pleasing to me to know that my conduct in this affair is agreeable to you and if it should not be so I wish to know so that I may desist --

I also wish your Excellency to direct me what I shall do with those English people whom I told you had cut and carried of [sic] the hay of the Island (on our side of the river on the stake [?] ) and I can git hold of some of their property to attach [?] as it comes down the river and that will bring the action into our own Courts -- I wish the Attorney General would send me two or three writs properly filled out agreeable to the late laws for trespassers and leave Blanks for me to fill up the names of the trespassers or the dates or times [two inscribed above] of the trespasses -- or times as the case may be [five inscribed above]

as the weather will permit I am a going to set out up the river [one inscribed above] to the Chipanecutict [sic? probably Chiputneticook] Lake to see if the English who are up loging [sic] this winter on their side of that Lake do or have not taken the liberty of crossing on the ice to our side for the purpose of steling [sic] a few pine loges as usal [?] It is a fatiguing task but I am determined to prevent them giting any timber of [sic] our side the river --

I shall on the other side of this sheet address your Excellency on a interesting subject to me and as I think to our new State as the only means to making our State valuable is to have it well settled upon -- a well settled Country by good industrious people will make great commershal [sic] towns and Citys all which I will submit to your Excellency suggestion --

and with due respect permit me Sir to subscribe my self your Excellencys most obedient and humble servant

Wm. Vance