Shawe-Woodcock (and McLelland)

To His Excellency the R\t/ Hon /
General Lord Charles Henry /
Somerset Governor and Com=mander /
in Chief of the /
Cape of Good Hope &c. &c . /
We the undersigned British Settlers /
residing at the Sub-drostdy of Clan William /
beg to approach Your Excellency with /
Sentiments of profound attachment to /
your Excellency’s person and Government /
and those of the gracious Sovereign you /
represent /
We have heard with unfeigned regret /
of the late vile attach on Your Excellency /
by a low calumniator, but our num=ber /
is so reduced in the vicinity of this /
Sub. drostdy, that we have been hitherto /
delicate in bringing forward our humble /
names, in opposition to the libellers and /
in conjunction with the virtuous and /
loyal. /
We do not flatter ourselves that /
any weight is atttached to our names, /
but we should feel ourselves negligent /
nay, culpable, if we did not follow the /
Example of our Brethren in Albany /
in expres+sing our Contempt for the libellers /
And the Pleasure we feel in hoping that /
the voice of the public united in proclai=ming /
your Excellency’s virtues, will in a /
short time show the enemies of deco=rum /
the imbecility of their effors /
to prison the minds of the peaceable /
>
We hesitate not to expres+s our /
sense of a reign of darknes+s having long brooded /
over this thriving Colony, but at the /
Same time we cannot but congratulate /
ourselves on seeing the Clouds of error /
disappearing under your Excellency’s /
administration, and in their stead a sys=tem /
now approaching to maturity /
which will not only add to the national /
character, but throw a lustre round your /
Excellency’s government, calculated to /
render your name venerated by posterity /
Francis M\c/Clelland Clr /
S. E. Shawe /
RWoodcock /