us more sea room to prey upon their commerce, and a
freer coast to bring in our prizes; and also the supplies we shall be
able to send you, in consequence of our agreement with the
Farmers-General, which is, that the Congress shall provide, purchasing
bona fide at the lowest price possible, twenty thousand hogsheads of
tobacco, in Virginia and Maryland, at the public warehouses in those
States, for the ships which they, the Farmers-General, shall send; and
that those tobaccos shall be brought to France, at their risk and in
their ships. They understand the price is not likely to exceed three
or four French sous in America, but we do not warrant that it shall
cost no more, though we hope it will not. Upon these conditions we are
to have half the supposed price advanced, immediately, and the
opportunity of shipping warlike stores on board their ships, at your
risk, and paying reasonable freights; the rest to be paid as soon as
advice is received that the tobacco is shipped.

The desire of getting money immediately to command the preparations
for the ensuing campaign, and of interesting so powerful a body as the
Farmers-General, who in fact make the most efficient part of
government here, and the absolute part in all commercial or monied
concerns, induced us to concede to these terms, which may possibly in
the estimate of the price of tobacco be low, but which upon the whole
we judged necessary, and we hope will be advantageous. So strong is
the inclination of the wealthy here to assist us, that since this
agreement we are offered a loan of two million of livres, without
interest, and to be repaid when the United States are settled in peace
and prosperity. No conditions or securities are required, not even an
engagement from us. We have accepted this generous and noble
benefaction; five hundred thousand livres, or one quarter, is to be
paid into the hands of our banker this day, and five hundred thousand
more every three months.

As the ships we were ordered to hire, or buy from this Court, cannot
be obtained, it being judged absolutely necessary to keep their whole
naval force at home, ready in case of a rupture, we think of
purchasing some elsewhere, or of building, in order as far as possible
to answer the views of Congress. Of this we shall write more fully in
our next. In the mean time we cannot but hint, that this seems to us a
fair opportunity of supporting the credit of the paper money you
borrow, as you may pro