It may be objected; how came it that they did not know the exact amount of their receipts, as they did of their returns, but had to estimate them? Two things were the cause of it; the first and principal was, that the new accountant, who was pressed upon them from England, wholly failed them, and could never render them any accounts. He trusted to his memory and loose papers, and let things run into such confusion, that neither he nor anyone else could bring things to rights. Whenever he was called upon to perfect his accounts, he desired to have so long, or such a time of leisure, and he would finish them. In the interim he fell very ill, and in conclusion he could make no account at all. His books, after a brief good beginning, were left altogether imperfect, and of his papers, some were lost and others so confused that he knew not what to make of them himself when they came to be examined. This was not unknown to Mr. Sherley; and the colony came to smart for it to some purpose, both in England and here, though it was not their fault. They reckon they have lost in consequence some hundred of pounds for goods sold on credit, which were ultimately a dead loss for want of clear accounts to call for payment. Another reason of the mischief was, that after Mr. Winslow was sent into England to demand accounts and to take exception to the White Angel, no prices were sent with their goods, and no proper invoice of them; everything was confused, and they were obliged to guess at the prices. They wrote back to Mr. Andrews and Mr. Beauchamp, and told them they wondered they could say that they had sent nothing home since the last accounts; they had sent a great deal, and it might rather be wondered how they could send so much, beside all the expenses here and what the French had captured, and what had been lost at sea when Mr. Pierce’s ship was wrecked off the coast of Virginia. What they had sent was sent to them all, to them as well as Mr. Sherley, and if they had not looked after it, it was their own faults; they must refer them to Mr. Sherley who had received it from whom they should demand it. They also wrote to Mr. Sherley to the same purpose, and what the others’ complaints were.