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more necessary and honourable then practicable) was, as it were, forced, for saving his owne creditt, to undertake the same, even uppon any termes of disadvantage. Uppon the same grounds, even when your petitioner had contracted, he was contented to remove all obstructions hereafter mentioned with his owne paines and charge, and patiently to bear such as could not be removed, rather then decline the said worke, or retard the performance of the same by too often and too troublesome adresses to your honours for reliefe.
But having now, through the great mercy of God, brought the whole worke of the surveys soe near to an end as concernes either the engagement or the reason of the said worke, and that for less then 5500li charge out of the States purse, besides the 2000li advanced at first, whereof the greatest part was immediately wasted uppon instruments, teaching workmen, making experiments, and repairing miscarriages, your petitioner now humbly conceives it neither unseasonable nor unreasonable to make the ensueing remonstrance unto your honours of the said grieveance, nor doeth hee doubt of your tender and conscionable consideration thereof.
The grieveances of which your petitioner shall now complaine are either such as he was, for the reasons afore mentioned, forced to admitt into his contract, though contrary to the first intention thereof, or such as your petitioner could not foresee would happen in the performance of the said contract (to both which your petitioner can only implore your honours favour and indulgence), or else they are such as your petitioner hath voluntarily submitted unto, over and above his said contract and obligation, for the better and necessary answering of ends, and for complying with all the exigencies which the State, the army, your petitioner himselfe, and his instruments, have been cast into from time to time, since the first undertaking; and these are such, for remedy whereof your petitioner beggeth your honoures justice only; and that if not according to his paines, losses, and dangers, yet according to the successe and meritt of them, uppon the publique service.
And first, your petitioner sheweth, that through the backwardness of the civil survey, and want of abstracts, he was exceedingly damnifyed.
As first, that having none at all ready at the first sealing of his contract, hee, notwithstanding, out of zeale to promote the service, sett out sixty instruments to enquire of the countrey, which proved soe confused, as that the
