ears; and since my
return here, I learn (not officially from our bankers, but) through a
good channel, that they have received near four hundred thousand florins
since the date of the statement I sent you in my letter of March the
16th; and I presume we need not fear the completion of that loan, which
will provide for all our purposes of the year 1788, as stated in
that paper. I hope, therefore, to receive from the treasury orders in
conformity thereto, that I may be able to proceed to the redemption of
our captives. A provision for the purposes of the years 1789 and 1790,
as stated in the same paper, will depend on the ratification by Congress
of Mr. Adams's bonds of this year for another million of florins. But
there arises a new call from this government, for its interest at least.
Their silence hitherto has made it be believed in general, that they
consented to the nonpayment of our interest to them, in order to
accommodate us. You will perceive in the seventy-fifth and seventy-sixth
pages of the _compte rendu_, which I have the honor to send you, that
they call for this interest, and will publish whether it be paid or not;
and by No. 25, page eighty-one, that they count on its regular receipt
for the purposes of the year. These calls, for the first days of
January, 1789 and 1790, will amount to about a million and a half of
florins more; and if to be raised by loan, it must be for two millions,
as well to cover the expenses of the loan, as that loans are not opened
for fractions of millions. This publication seems to render a provision
for this interest as necessary as for that of Amsterdam.

I had taken measures to have it believed at Algiers, that our government
withdrew its attention from our captives there. This was to prepare
their captors for the ransoming them at a reasonable price. I find,
however, that Captain O'Bryan is apprized that I have received some
authority on this subject. He writes me a cruel letter, supposing me the
obstacle to their redemption. Their own interest requires that I should
leave them to think thus hardly of me. Were the views of government
communicated to them, they could not keep their own secret, and such
a price would be demanded for them, as Congress, probably, would
think ought not to be given, lest it should be the cause of involving
thousands of others of their citizens in the same condition. The moment
I have money, the business shall be set in motion.

By a letter from Jo