m you are recommended for cash to carry you to
Paris, where Dr Franklin, Mr Deane, or Mr Arthur Lee lodge in Paris;
and above all things take care not to let it be known at Nantes, from
whence you come, your business, or where you are going, except to the
above gentlemen.

* * * * *

TO THE COMMITTEE OF SECRET CORRESPONDENCE.

Paris, 17th January, 1777.

Gentlemen,

We joined each other at this place on the 22d of December, and, on the
28th, _had an audience of his Excellency the Count de Vergennes, one
of His Most Christian Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, and
Minister for Foreign Affairs. We laid before him our commission, with
the articles of the proposed treaty of commerce.[28] He assured us of
the protection of his Court, and that due consideration should be
given to what we offered_. Soon after we presented a memoir of the
present situation of our States, drawn up at the minister's request,
together with the articles of general confederation, and the demands
for ships of war, agreeable to our instructions. Copies of all these
papers were given by us to the Count d'Aranda, His Catholic Majesty's
Ambassador here, to be communicated to his Court. We are promised an
answer from this Court, as soon as they can know the determination of
Spain, with which they mean to act in perfect unanimity.

In the mean time, we are endeavoring to expedite several vessels laden
with artillery, arms, ammunition, and clothing, which we hope will
reach you in time for the campaign, though unfortunately one vessel,
which Mr Deane had sent so laden, has just put back, after having been
three weeks at sea. She is, however, now sailed again. The ports of
France, Spain, and Florence, (that is Leghorn, in the Mediterranean,)
are open to the American cruisers, upon the usual terms of neutrality.

We find it essential to the establishment and maintenance of your
commercial credit in Europe, that your concerns of that kind should be
in the hands of the most respectable men, in the different countries.
From the observations we have made, Mr Myrtle is not of that
description, and we are sorry to say, that the irregularities of Mr
Thomas Morris render it absolutely necessary, that some other person
should be immediately appointed in his place. We also think it
advisable, that you should be so far on your guard, with respect to
Mons. Penet, as