e for a superior force to be in wait for it,
we concluded the chance better of their going off singly, as they
should be ready. In these vessels are clothes, ready made, for thirty
thousand men, besides arms, cloths, linens, and naval stores to a
great amount, bought up by us and Mr Ross. The private adventures will
also be very considerable. And as we shall continue our endeavor to
complete your orders, we hope that if the ships have common success in
passing, you will be better provided for the next campaign, than you
have been for any of the preceding.

How we are enabled to make these supplies, must be a matter of some
surprise to you, when you reflect that little or nothing from you has
been received by us, since what came by Captain Wickes, till now by
the arrival of the Amphitrite, and that the seeming uncertainty of
your public affairs has prevented hitherto our obtaining the loan
proposed. We have however found, or made some friends, who have
helped, and will, we are confident, continue to help us.

Being anxious for supporting the credit of Congress' paper money, we
procured a fund for payment of the interest of all the Congress had
proposed to borrow. And we mentioned in several of our letters, that
we should be ready to pay all bills drawn for the discharge of such
interest, to the full value in money of France, that is, five livres
for every dollar of interest due. We were persuaded, that thus fixing
the value of the interest would fix the value of the principal, and
consequently of the whole mass. We hope this will be approved, though
we have yet no answer. We cannot apply that fund to any other purpose,
and therefore wish to know as soon as may be, the resolution of
Congress upon it. Possibly none of those letters had reached you, or
your answers have miscarried; for the interruptions of our
correspondence have been very considerable. Adams, by whom we wrote
early this summer, was taken on this coast, having sunk his
despatches. We hear that Hammond shared the same fate on your coast.
Johnson, by whom we wrote in September, was taken, going out of the
channel, and poor Captain Wickes, who sailed at the same time, and had
duplicates, we just now hear foundered near Newfoundland, every man
perishing but the cook. This loss is extremely to be lamented, as he
was a gallant officer, and a very worthy man. Your despatches also,
which were coming by a small sloop from Morris's River, and by the
_Mere Bobie_ pa