Honourabill and loving brother,
Hearing that ye wer purposit to the south shortlie efter Rapnes come over made me that I thought nocht to have wretin to yow with this passage, yit upon all hazardis I thought good to wreat thir few lynis. I know Rapnes hes wretin to yow at lenth to meit yow at Leith and with his passage to Orkney, and thairby shawen yow what we have done and ar adoing. I think we sall get of all 10 or 11 lasts butter to William Dick this yeir with great difficulties, and I fear we sall get too much oyll. What difficultie and trouble we have for housing to it I can hardlie expres. I know ye will have a cair to bind some bargane for our oyll for yeiris to come if possible ye can, bot it wold be with conditioun for our tak, or at least during our uplifting of thir dewties in that tyme, for the world is dangerous to be far tyed. Also yow will have a cair to dispatch the oyll that is thair, and our awin first. I think we may try at Dundie, as ye go that way, what it is worth thair. Thair is no naigis to be haid heir nor passage for them this yeir for ought I know. I fear we sall have difficultie to get these fisches ye wreat for, or fish or hering to Mr John Dik. Also I fear we sall come sober speid of the extraordinar taxatioun, for the people will stur thairwith at thir tymes, for we keip silence anent the ordinar taxatioun and sindrie uther dewis dew to us, quhilk James Scot hes put the countrey out of use of. I resavit your letter fra Rapnes, and as ye shaw me thairin I hope ye will continew in so doing concerning my wyf. We look for a bark shortlie to transport the butter and oyll, for it is all in many hazards of ill weather and evill hands. I think it salbe the hinderend of November befoir we be cleir heir. What ye have to do in the south in my busines ye know better then I can informe. If ye buy commodities for your self and can have passage hame I know ye will remember me for some Holland claith, some lint, some four or 5 ells of sad gray Inglis or Scottis claith with 4 ells freise thairto, 12 stings for overlyis, and what moir I know nocht. Swa in haist, my dewtie to your self, your bedfellow and all freindis, I commit yow all to the protectioun and directioun of God, I rest,
Your loving freind,
A. Smyth.

Scallowaybanks, the 22 of September 1640.

I have wretin a letter to Harie Prince and sent him a note thairwith concerning some busines of myne at Mertimes, quhilk ye may sie as ye have occasioun. Andro Tait, skipper, tells me since he cam fra Hamburg that he heard a rumour thair that Josua Averie, court master factour for William Dik, dare hardlie avow that he hes traffik with ony Scottisman, whairfoir ye will have a cair to mak fast with William Dik for the Dutchmenis money for the last yeir.