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Nov 7 1802
Sir
I understand that the mare that I have got is now fixed upon for to be put in the Light Horse, which if so, will entirely put a stop to my proceeding in the height of the best season for travelling & collecting. When I first had her, no horse could have a worse character. Now I have made her useful to me, she is otherwise wanted. The one that I had before, as soon as I had got her in good condition was wanted for the mill, but had she been put to that work she would soon have been killed. It requires some time & trouble for me to make a horse tractable for the travel in the woods. If I cannot have one from Government to depend upon, I must request your assistance in purchasing one. So far I have kept within the bounds of what Sir Joseph has allowed me, but now if I continue my pursuit I must exceed it; but in that I shall not hesitate to say but that Sir Joseph will discharge the [indecipherable] without scrupling. Since I have had the above mare I have had no place fit to put her in. I acquainted Mr Marsden of it, who answered me in saying he should see about it. Several weeks passed & I heard no more. Meeting him a few days ago in Sydney I mentioned it again to him, he told me in a sharp tone of voice "that I must have one built then". I do not know in what manner I have given him offence that he should give me such an answer. At the same time there is plenty of stable room close at hand, and since the mill has been stopped there is only one horse to occupy the whole. But the man that had the care of the mill horses has got a parcel of fowls locked up in it, and which he even had before the mill was stopped. As he received provender for the horses, it gives a strong suspicion whether his fowls were not fed with it. In such practices I consider it a duty upon every honest person to give information of. After all, the mare will not answer the purpose she is now intended for, by being badly broken winded, & fit only to be confined to a slow pace, but probably this defect is unknown to those that have pointed her out as fit for the army. Yet to me she is of more service than any other horse in the colony. I must now Solicit your answer, in order to state my case to Sir Joseph, from whose answer I shall know how to act in future.
I believe I have now £30 or 40 due (unless some of the cases on board the Alexander contain something on my own private account) together with supplies I expect again from Sir Joseph, all which I intend to