Honourabill and loving brother,
I cam to Dunrosnes on Monday efternoone and heir yesternight. Thair is thrie shippes of the Hollanders brunt heir. The people hes medlit with the yron work thairof, pairtlie be thameselfis and pairtlie be the Hollanderis thair gift and selling of these commodities. Thair is lying as yit in the boddome of these 3 shippis abone a hunder gunis, some mountit, some nocht. Also thair is with them 10 or 12 great ankeris. The country people will nocht aknowledge any pairt thairof dew to the admirall. I will medle with nothing thairof, becaus I nather know nor can for sindrie respectis. Ye will advyse what may be done thairanent quhen ather ye or Rapnes comes, and I think it wer nocht amiss that thair wer some resolutioun thairof from the south countrey. Thair is some few of the smallest ankeris medlit with all alreadie, as I heir. Yan Sour is nocht come heir this yeir, bot another factour fra his masteris upon a les ship who hes delyverit bak the bill of exchange sent with him, acceptit be Josua Hervie, his actour, and a ticket upon the bak of the bill subscrivit be him granting the receipt of the 550 dollours, quhilk ye will receave heirin incloseit, quhilk I think sould be sufficient for allowance if William Dik and he keipis any dealling, quhilk ye will do weill to try if he will allow as payit in dew tyme. Also ye will resave heirwith a Latine double of a Dutch letter wretin be his masteris to yow, quhilk I can nather weill reid nor expone, yit I think it is showing yow of the payment of these moneyis, and desyring new advancement of some butter to be payit for be thame at Hamburg, Breheme or Amsterdam, quhilk letter Mownes thinking it haid concernit him and Mr Gilbert Mowat did brak up, and thairfoir hes sent yow a letter of excuise. I have keipit the Dutch letter with me. Also Court Warnekin is laitlie come and sayis he hes payit the moneyis to Josua Hervie also, quhilk sindrie of our Dutches sayis they saw, as Robert Neilsoun showit me, yit he hes left the bill of exchange behind him.¹ If thair be no advertesment come to William Dik or Mr William Stirling thairanent, I think hardlie thair will be any allowance thairof, bot we sall keip up his band till we get tryell of the same. Thair is sindre of our Dutches readie to go. Robert Neilsoun hes spoken them. Sindrie of them hes litle or no money to pay thair toll, but godwilling I sall do my best to get ather money or some suirance for payment, for I mynd to go a gaitward to Wais this day, and so about als soone as I can, and hopes to be about within 24 dayis or thairby, godwilling, if weather and health permit, and then I mynd to receave the wodmell at Laxfuird for fear of rottenis in Scalloway. Ye will advyse with Rapnes whither the bark sall come to Scalloway or Laxfuird for thair will be difficultie in both: at Scalloway, for the transport of the wodmell thair and taking of all winds for Norway, and at Laxfuird to transport of the sclaittis. Efter the recept of wodmell I can do nothing til the bark comes and ather ye or Rapnes. It is not a busines for me allone, both in respect of the busines it self and in respect of the tymes, for this countrey is far out of use of dewtie doing, and withall they ar weak, as among uther things will be sein in our peatts, and both yeiris wodmell will be unprofitable if the bark come nocht tymouslie. And all uther busines will not go rycht if some of your selfis be not heir shortlie. Thair will no timber for windowis be gottin of these brunt shippis so far as I can learne. I have delyverit 20 li. to William Burgar, Rapnes man, to buy or arle some horssis to yow, and I sall do my best to ask for such as I go throw, bot I fear we sall nocht come great speid in haist for our Orkney men hes sought throw the most part of the maynland and yllis, and hes given ask and have for horssis quhair any wis to be haid, and your nychtbour Andro Sinclair, as I heir, hes mo then a guid number of his nychtbours heir. Sua my heartlie dewtie rememberit to yourself, your bedfellow, and all freindis, bot speciallie to these ye know most inteir. And commending yow and them to the protectioun and directioun of almightie God, I rest,

Your loving brother,

A. Smyth.

Scallowaybanks, the 2 of July 1640.

Ye will let Rapnes sie this letter and advise him anent the particulars thairof.