n the 17th instant we had the honor of exchanging
ratifications with his Excellency the Count de Vergennes. The treaties
ratified, signed by his Majesty, and under the great seal of France,
are now in our possession, where, perhaps, considering the dangers of
enemies at sea, it will be safest to let them remain at present.
Copies of them we shall have the honor to transmit to Congress by this
opportunity.

War is not yet declared between France and England, by either nation,
but hostilities at sea have been already commenced by both, and as the
French fleet from Brest, under the command of the Count d'Orvilliers,
and the British fleet, under Admiral Keppel, are both at sea, we are
in hourly expectation of a rencontre between them. The Jamaica fleet,
the Windward Island fleet, and a small fleet from the Mediterranean,
have arrived at London, which has enabled them to obtain by means of a
violent impress, perhaps a thousand or fifteen hundred seamen, who
will man two or three ships more, in the whole making Admiral Keppel's
fleet somewhat nearer to an equality with the French. In the mean
time, the Spanish flotilla has arrived, but the councils of that Court
are kept in a secrecy so profound, that we presume not to say with
confidence what are her real intentions. We continue, however, to
receive from various quarters encouraging assurances, and from the
situation of the powers of Europe it seems highly probable, that Spain
will join France in case of war.

A war in Germany, between the Emperor and King of Prussia, seems to be
inevitable, and it is affirmed that the latter has marched his army
into Bohemia, so that we apprehend that America has at present nothing
to fear from Germany. We are doing all in our power to obtain a loan
of money, and have a prospect of procuring some in Amsterdam, but not
in such quantities as will be wanted. We are constrained to request
Congress to be as sparing as possible in their drafts upon us. The
drafts already made, together with the great expense arising from the
frigates which have been sent here, and the expenses of the
commissioners, the maintenance of your ministers for Vienna and
Tuscany, and of prisoners who have made their escape, and the amount
of clothes and munitions of war already sent to America, are such,
that we are under great apprehensions that our funds will not be
sufficient to answer the drafts, which we daily expect, for the
interest of loan office certificates,