Right honnourabill,

Sir and loveing maister, my love and service rememberit to youe. Ye sall wit that I wreat ane letter to have send to you, daitit the 5 of Junij, thinking that the boat had gone home derect, bot shoo hes been in the Fair Iyll sensyne frauchtit be Hynd of Burray, wherin I wreat sume particulars to you. And amongst the rest, anent the seling of your butter, it was reportit to me be Mr Patrik Oliphant that the Dutchmen of Ounst wold have given tuelf dollors for the barrall, but I wreat to you in that letter that I could not give you the certaintie becaus it was bot ane report, but assuirance. Sua I took ane man and send to Ounst with ane letter to Hendrie and ane uther to William Bruce to try the pryces, and sell the butter to ane day, wind and weather serveing, I sould keip ther word. And when they had tryed and doone what they could, all that the merchands bad was bot ten dollors, half moneys, half wairs. So the men of Builyesetter being unsailit, I took someikill of it as was lyeing in Brughe and put it into the aucht earing, and went and inbarkit it in the ship of Builyesetter to hav gone to Norroway, and presentlie upon that same tyd went to Whalsay and took in the rest in the boat to have gone againe to the ship. And so I met with Patrik Sands and Andro Sinclear of Brughe, and Court Warnkin is rydand in Whalsay sound goeing north, and they and Court Warnkind had bein drinkane together in Court Lankino his booth, and they had bein speaking together of the butter, and so I comeing ther to fetch the butter they meite me and they wold goe with me to speak hime as I went by. So we went aboord in Court Warnekine and spak hime, and he offered bot nyne dollors readie money, and to mak short I drave him to ten dollors for the barrall and he wold give no mor, and ther I aggred and sauld it to hime, and he gave me ten dollors in arls of aught scoir and ten dollors, and I gave hime ane barrall of butter in arles of sevintein barrall of butter at ten dollors the barrall, and set downe ane contract presentlie betwixt hime and me to be payit at Lambmes and threatie dollors of failyie. So I was forcit to carie it all home to Brughe to keip it, for he wold not tak haizaird of it whill Lambmes in respect of great danger of Dunkirkerars about the countrie, for they have beine at ane fight with four wauchters and slaine manie men in both the syds. Ten Dunkirkars came in upon the four wauchters in Brassay sound being lying at ane ankar, on of the wauchters cutit her cabills and thocht to have won to the sea out throcht the north channall, bot the wind was at the east south east could noways mak for sea. Twa Dunkirkars follwit hir and shot at hir, and shoo at them, and drave her in to Brunsimerland, and the Hollandars them selves ran hir to the craig and blew hir in the air with poader bot saved them selves, and the other aucht Dunkirkars took the uther thrie wauchters in Brassay sound and brunt twa and took one to the sea with them. That seik ane fight was never sene in Yeitland, as the bearars heirof cane schawe you, and great skaith they have done about the countrie sensyne. So as I have said before about the butter I thocht it was better to tak ten dollors the barrall in Yeitland nor giv I had gottin elevinth in Norroway in respect of the great danger in the sea, and then I am suir fraucht and chairgs twentie dollors wold not fetchit me home. Court Lankino has beine at me and wold by your butter this yeir and I cannot mak pryce by your consent. He wold by it in leispoinds as he is wont to doe and says he sall by so far as he hes money. Therfor come home your selfe or send [...]. And sicklyk about the pryces of your fishe this yeir, the merchants wold not tak a fishe unto the tyme that the pryce was set doune, and wald not have a fishe les nor aucht ling for ane gullion in respect that they had great loss upon fishe the last yeir whill now. Court Warnkin hes put ane man into Harie his booth and I hav agried with him for sevin ling for ane gullion, bot they will not promeis money nather for in respect of byeing of the butter, and Court Warnkin almost forthinks the bargane so he hes promeis me ane half last of beir as guid as within Yeitland, for indeid he hes guid beir. Sua I behooved to agrie with them for ye knaw I had no other outgait for the fishe, and Court Warnkin sayes to me and ye come home your self this yeir he sall mak ane bargane with you both for your butter and fishe the nixt yeir, and I wald that ye wald evin agrie with hime for your butters [...]tione, for he is ane man sulvendo and cane ay affoord yow money when ye have ado therwith. And furder as confermeing my other letter wreatine befor, I send youe Eslmonts answer. Sua not farder troubling you, bot amongs the rest I request you to provyd a boat for your awin coste, for I protest to God ye might have wantit me and six men with me and lykways Andro Greig and four with hime, they comeing out of the Skerries and I carrieing the butter. And as conserning your land of Houll, James Kintor wold have it now and lykways Sandie Manson befor, bot James Kintor hes offerit to find yowe ane chalmer for your self and no neid to big more for he hes his mothers haill howsses. Sua this in haist, commiting you ever in the protectione of the almighty God, and sall remane your trustie servant. I rest, remembering my commendationes to my father and mother and all freinds,

Your honnours humbel servand in all dutie,

James Ommand.

Skalloway, 29 June 1640.

Excuis the wreating of this letter for it was wreatine in haist.