Brother Cortlandt, New York, December 3, 1694.

Expressing my thankfulness for all benefits enjoyed and my sincere gratitude therefor I would like to request you urgently – since I now intend, with God’s help, to leave for England – to assist my wife in whatever she might need you.
First, I leave you an account of what is due to me in the additional duty, viz. £761.9.3 ½, which, when it comes in, [you] can receive for me and deliver to her.
2 I leave you the bill of £716.4.2 for the provisions, my share of which is £396.4.4 ½ as per the made-out account plus £23.- for salary = £419.4.4 ½ , out of which you must have for yourself privately £ 76.16.6 ¼
Colonel Minvielle £118. 5. –
Cornelis Jacobse £ 16.13.9 ¾
and the Governor takes – to be paid to Miles Forster - £128.4.4 ¼
339.9.8 ¼
so that when that bill is paid off
my due will be £ 79.4.8 ¼
which you are kindly requested to pay to Stev. de Lancey for my part in fitting out the barquentine
Robert.
3 When the sloop Mary – skipper: John Trevet – returns from Roanoke in which 1/3....1) in the yacht and cargo, please collect my 1/3 and stand in for me to make out the account of the voyage.

Notes:
1) I think Robert writes “hendere”, but I have not been able to determine what it means.

4 If any goods arrive for me from England or somewhere else, either for me privately or consigned, you are kindly requested to collect and clear them and advise my dear wife who will send you further orders as to that.
5 2)I desyre yw will cause my dock to be filled up over against ye ....3) Jones, yt ye brestwork be brook doune & made so yt carts may unload there rubbish. George Broune is agreed to bring stockadoes & lay ym at £3 a boat loade ye stones first being remoovd. I design God sending me safe bak to build upon ye same speedily.
6 2)As for what concerns we have joyntly in New Foundland with Robt Allison wh bills are in yr custody, I leave ye mannagement thereof wholly to yw, either to send a vessel thither & so to ye Maderas or Bilbo so as yw shal see convenient. I wil be an equal sharer with yw in profite & losse, & what yw doe therein shall be acceptable to me. Lastly I desyre yw to give me an acct. by all opportunityes how things are with my family directing it to Mr. Luke Forster linning draper London & to give all ye assistance yw can to my dear & loving wife wh will heap ye more obligations upon him who is
Your ever obliged broyr
& humble servt R L.
7 I leave you Colonel Dongan’s original mortgage and obligation which you are kindly requested to deliver when he sends order. Lay Dongan’s other original papers and those concerning the land aside for my wife, please.
8 £8.3.6 is due to me from Lieutenant Sharpe. Let Mr. Brooke deduct that for me from his first payment as promised.
9 I also leave you a bill [-of-exchange] of £13.8.4 on the additional duty at 10 per cent interest for sundries to the natives4) at Albany, part of which is provision which has been received. Settle it as it ought to be.
10 I understood from you that I am still in the red in the country’s books for the £300.- that I received when Colonel Ingoldesby, Chief of Staff at the time, went to Albany in May, 1692, although [I] laid that out for the benefit of the country and had £10.- left. Please, see to it that I will be cleared from that. [I] wrote my wife to send the account thereof down to you.
I leave you a warrant and obligation from Jeremy Tothil to Richard Merrywether of London showing my name at the back of the warrant for substitution.
R. L.

Notes:
2) Articles 5 and 6 are in English. I have transcribed them literally.
3) I think Robert writes “indr” or “mr”; neither makes sense to me, unfortunately.
4) Robert writes “wilde” = “savages”