guard. The Amphitrite, and the Seine, from Havre, and the Mercury,
from Nantes, are all now at sea, laden with arms, ammunition, brass
field pieces, stores, clothing, canvass, &c. which, if they arrive
safely, will put you in a much better condition for the next campaign,
than you were for the last.

Some excellent engineers, and officers of the artillery, will also be
with you pretty early, also some few for the cavalry. Officers of
infantry, of all ranks, have offered themselves without number. It is
quite a business to receive the applications and refuse them. Many
have gone over at their own expense, contrary to our advice. To some
few of those, who were well recommended, we have given letters of
introduction.

The conduct of our General, in avoiding a decisive action, is much
applauded by the military people here, particularly Marshals
Maillebois, Broglio, and D'Arcy. M. Maillebois, has taken the pains to
write his sentiments of some particulars useful in carrying on our
war, which we send enclosed. But that, which makes the greatest
impression in our favor here, is the prodigious success of our armed
ships and privateers. The damage we have done their West India trade,
has been estimated, in a representation to Lord Sandwich, by the
merchants of London, at one million eight hundred thousand pounds
sterling, which has raised insurance to twentyeight per cent, being
higher than at any time, in the last war with France and Spain. This
mode of exerting our force against them should be pushed with vigor.
It is that in which we can most sensibly hurt them, and to secure a
continuance of it, we think one or two of the engineers we send over,
may be usefully employed in making some of our ports impregnable. As
we are well informed, that a number of cutters are building, to cruise
in the West Indies against our small privateers, it may not be amiss,
we think, to send your larger vessels thither, and ply in other
quarters with the small ones.

A fresh misunderstanding between the Turks and Russia, is likely to
give so much employment to the troops of the latter, as that England
can hardly expect to obtain any of them. Her malice against us,
however, is so high at present, that she would stick at no expense to
gratify it. The New England Colonies are, according to our best
information, destined to destruction, and the rest to slavery, under a
military government. But the Governor of the world sets bounds to the
rage of