ul. Five millions of acres have been
sold at private sale, for a dollar an acre, in certificates; and at the
public sales, some of them had sold as high as two dollars and forty
cents the acre. The sales had not been begun two months. By these
means, taxes, &c. our domestic debt, originally twenty-eight millions
of dollars, was reduced, by the 1st day of last October, to twelve
millions, and they were then in treaty-for two millions of acres more,
at a dollar, private sale. Our domestic debt will thus be soon paid off,
and that done, the sales will go on for money, at a cheaper rate, no
doubt, for the payment of our foreign debt. The _petite guerre_, always
waged by the Indians, seems not to abate the ardor of purchase or
emigration. Kentucky is now counted at sixty thousand. Frankland is also
growing fast.

I have been told, that the cutting through the Isthmus of Panama, which
the world has so often wished, and supposed practicable, has at times
been thought of by the government of Spain, and that they once proceeded
so far, as to have a survey and examination made of the ground; but
that the result was, either impracticability or too great difficulty.
Probably the Count de Campomanes, or Don Ulloa, can give you information
on this head. I should be exceedingly pleased to get as minute details
as possible on it, and even copies of the survey, report, &c. if they
could be obtained at a moderate expense. I take the liberty of asking
your assistance in this.

I have the honor to be, with great respect and esteem, Sir, your most
obedient and most humble servant,

Th: Jefferson.

LETTER CXVI.--TO JOHN ADAMS

TO JOHN ADAMS.

Paris, December 12, 1787.

Dear Sir,

In the month of July, I received from Fiseaux & Co. of Amsterdam, a
letter notifying me that the principal of their loan to the United
States would become due the first day of January. I answered them that
I had neither powers nor information on the subject, but would transmit
their letter to the board of treasury. I did so, by the packet which
sailed from Havre, August the 10th. The earliest answer possible would
have been by the packet which arrived at Havre three or four days ago.
But by her I do not receive the scrip of a pen from any body. This makes
me suppose, that my letters are committed to Paul Jones, who was to sail
a week after the departure of the packet; and that possibly, he may be
the bearer of orders from the treasury, to repay Fi