On May 4, Jefferson sent a copy to John Page of Rosewell: “ . . . with these almanacs I pack a copy of some notes I wrote for Mons ^r. de Marbois in the year 1781. of which I had a few printed here. they were written in haste & for his private inspection. a few friends having asked copies I found it cheaper to print than to write them. one of these got into the hands of a bookseller who getting a bad translation of them made, obliged me to consent that they should appear on condition of their being translated by a better hand. I apprehend therefore they will get further than I intended: tho’ as yet they are in few hands. they will offer nothing new to you, not even as an oblation of my friendship for you which is as old almost as we are ourselves . . . ”

Page did not answer this until March 7, 1788, when he wrote from Rosewell to Jefferson: “You will pardon my long Silence my dear Jefferson when I tell you that in Addition to the many Reasons which I have given in my former Letters & which might be repeated here, I have to add that of the long Indisposition, & at length the Death, of my beloved Wife--It is true, she has been dead almost fourteen Months--but many of these Months have passed off like a Dream & the others have been insufficient for my Attention to my distressed Family & M ^r. Burwell’s & my own perplexed Affairs.

"Were not this my unhappy Case, I should long since have thanked you for your many valuable Presents, & particularly for your Notes on Virg ^a. I sincerely thank you, & the more so, as you have continued your Proofs of Friendship to me (as I find by your Letter to M ^r. Wythe in which you mention sending me more Books & amongst them your new Edition of the Notes on Virginia) when I must have appeared to have forfeited all Pretensions to a Continuance of your Attention. . .”

On February 26, 1786, Jefferson had written a long explanatory letter to Edward Bancroft in London, and described his intended map: “ . . . By the death of m( ^~ r) Williamos a copy of my Notes on Virginia got into the hands of a bookseller, who was about publishing a very abominable translation of them when the Abbé Morallet heard of it, & diverted him from it by undertaking to translate it for him. they will thus appear in French in spite of my precautions. the Abbé engaged me to make a map, which I wish to have engraved in London. it is on a single sheet 23. inches square, and very closely written. it comprehends from Albermarle sound to L. Erie, and from Philadelphia to the mouth of the great Kanhaway, containing Virginia & Pennsylvania, a great part of Maryland & a part of North-Carolina. it is taken from Scull, Hutchins & Fry & Jefferson. I wish the favor of you to make two propositions for me & to inform me of the result. 1. to know from one of the best engravers how much he will ask for the plate & engraving, and in how short a time after he receives the original can he furnish the plate done in the best manner, for the time is material as the work is in the press. 2. to know of Faden or any other map merchant for how much he will undertake to furnish me 1800 copies, on my sending the map to him, & in what time can he furnish them. on this alternative I am to have nothing to do with the engraver or any person but the undertaker. I am of opinion he may furnish them to me for nothing; and fully indemnify himself by the sale of the maps. tho’ it is on the scale of only an inch to 20 miles it is as particular as the four short maps from which it is taken, and I answer for the exactness of the reduction. I have supplied some new places. tho’ the first object which induced me to undertake it was to make a map for my book, I soon extended my view to the making as good a map of those countries as my materials would admit; and I have no doubt but that in the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland & Virginia 800 copies can be sold for a dollar a piece. I shall finish it in about a fortnight, except the division of the counties of Virginia, which I cannot do at all till I can get Henry’s map of Virginia. this I must trouble you to procure for me & send immediately by the Diligence, and also give me information on the premises as soon as possible. you will perceive that time will press. I hope the circumstances of this affair will plead my pardon for the trouble I am giving you. the expence of procuring & sending the map shall be replaced, and an infinitude of thanks attend you from Sir Your most obed ^t. humble serv ^t.

" P. S. I do not propose that my name shall appear on ”