e claims against Congress, which do not
appear to have been allowed. In March, 1782, he was living in Ghent.
After the peace he went to England, where he died in August 1789.

THE

CORRESPONDENCE

OF

SILAS DEANE.

* * * * *

FROM THE COMMITTEE OF SECRET CORRESPONDENCE TO SILAS DEANE.[1]

Philadelphia, March 3d, 1776.

On your arrival in France, you will for some time be engaged in the
business of providing goods for the Indian trade. This will give good
countenance to your appearing in the character of a merchant, which we
wish you continually to retain among the French, in general, it being
probable that the court of France may not like it should be known
publicly, that any agent from the Colonies is in that country. When
you come to Paris, by delivering Dr Franklin's letters to Monsieur Le
Roy at the Louvre, and M. Dubourg, you will be introduced to a set of
acquaintance, all friends to the Americans. By conversing with them,
you will have a good opportunity of acquiring Parisian French, and you
will find in M. Dubourg, a man prudent, faithful, secret, intelligent
in affairs, and capable of giving you very sage advice.

It is scarce necessary to pretend any other business at Paris, than
the gratifying of that curiosity, which draws numbers thither yearly,
merely to see so famous a city. With the assistance of Monsieur
Dubourg, who understands English, you will be able to make immediate
application to Monsieur de Vergennes, _Ministre des Affaires
Etrangeres_, either personally or by letter, if M. Dubourg adopts that
method, acquainting him that you are in France upon business of the
American Congress, in the character of a merchant, having something to
communicate to him, that may be mutually beneficial to France and the
North American Colonies; that you request an audience of him, and that
he would be pleased to appoint the time and place. At this audience if
agreed to, it may be well to show him first your letter of credence,
and then acquaint him that the Congress, finding that in the common
course of commerce, it was not practicable to furnish the continent of
America with the quantity of arms and ammunition necessary for its
defence, (the Ministry of Great Britain having been extremely
industrious to prevent it,) you had been despatched by their authority
to apply to some European power for a supply. That France had been