(Livingston Manor, June 23, 1722;
received by Robert in New York: June 26)


1722, June 23


I received your letter of June 11 and am glad to hear you are so well.
And [I] have understood that several of the Assembly[-men] are likely to be inclined to impose that much on the vacant land. I am pleased to hear that Adolf Fhilips will be one of the representatives – pleased, because they will not put their intention into practice, for the Governor would incur all principals’ curse.
You sent me a doctor. You must be thinking I have no work [to do] but looking after strangers! I have given him a horse. And [he] has been at Japick’s; he1) can’t have him. Even if Japick would be willing, Doorte has no mind to it. And [as for] Jochem’s house, he said only a cat can turn in there. He did want to have it for his own. So, today I was at the smith’s to get his room, but all walls have to be plastered before he can come in there and we are in the hay-harvest now, so it may take a long time yet before I get rid of the queer fish.
I am sorry they couldn’t wait with Colonel Veets’s goods long enough for him to come himself. Alida is very distressed. She wishes you could see to it that they2) would be left where they are long enough for him to come himself.
Salsberrie3) has sold his grain and Samel4) van Veghten [too], I hear. If I’ll get in everything I can, [it] will make out only 3 ½ tons, so that I have now done as you wish. I had those proposals made to Jochem Radlief5), but [they] want nothing but 6 gu.6) before the yacht comes. I’m sending your trunk containing your black garment. You have to buy enough black silk for puffs, and also for a pair of trousers. There are 2 pairs of trousers. Alida would like [to have] the blue and white silk chairs there are 6 of them and the goods that you wrote [us] to send for. I’m sending you 13 kegs of butters and one for Naetye showing Van Hoorn’s mark. Send me 2 dozen pairs of scissors, 6 small pieces of ribbon for ribbon-caps7), and a quarter of a hundred of sugar, ½ lb. of fine white thread for shirts, 12 fine combs, [and] 2 dozen wide combs. I’m sending a basket of cherries and berries. Alida feels very sad that one thing is followed by the other. [Send me] a pattern for the cases for the spectacles. Syo8) is in reasonably good health.

Your Beloved Wife
Alida Livinghston.
In the Manor of Livinghston,
Naetye must [give] Veets 3 reels9) of mending-cotton for fraying, for she has nothing; it’s for her apron.

Notes:
1) viz.: Japick
2) viz.: Colonel Vees’s goods.
3) = Salisbury.
4) = Samuel.
5) Spelled “Jochim Ratliffe”, “Jochim Radcliff” and “Jochim Radliff” in Robert’s letters.
6) “gu.” = “gulden” (both singular and plural).
7) Alida writes “treck mutes”.
8) = Joe.
9) Alida writes: “3 sch. stopgaren”. I have no idea what “sch.” stands for in this context; “reels” is just a suggestion on my part.