u. Your deputy, Mr Deane, agrees with
me in the treatment which he thinks suitable to his office, and I have
found the power of this deputy sufficient, that I should prevail with
this officer to depart, under the sole engagement of the deputy
respecting him, the terms of which I have not the least doubt but
Congress will comply with. The secrecy necessary in some part of the
operation, which I have undertaken for your service, requires also, on
your part, a formal resolution, that all the vessels and their demands
should be constantly directed to our house alone, in order that there
may be no idle chattering or time lost--two things that are the ruin
of affairs. You will advise me what the vessels contain, which you
shall send into our ports. I shall choose so much of their loading, in
return for what I have sent, as shall be suitable to me, when I have
not been able before hand to inform you of the cargoes which I wish.
I shall facilitate to you the loading, sale, and disposal of the rest.
For instance, five American vessels have just arrived in the port of
Bordeaux, laden with salt fish; though this merchandise coming from
strangers is prohibited in our ports, yet as soon as your deputy had
told me that these vessels were sent to him by you, to raise money
from the sale for aiding him in his purchases in Europe, I took so
much care that I secretly obtained from the Farmers-General an order
for landing it without any notice being taken of it. I could even, if
the case had so happened, have taken upon my own account these cargoes
of salted fish, though it is no way useful to me, and charged myself
with its sale and disposal, to simplify the operation and lessen the
embarrassments of the merchants, and of your deputy.

I shall have a correspondent in each of our seaport towns, who, on the
arrival of your vessels, shall wait on the captains and offer every
service in my power; he will receive their letters, bills of lading,
and transmit the whole to me; even things which you may wish to arrive
safely in any country in Europe, after having conferred about them
with your deputy, I shall cause to be kept in some secure place; even
the answers shall go with great punctuality through me, and this way
will save much anxiety and many delays. I request of you, gentlemen,
to send me next spring, if it is possible for you, ten or twelve
thousand hogsheads, or more if you can, of tobacco from Virginia, of
the best quality.

You ve