pleased.

I remarked, that I had so often disappointed Congress by giving them
reason soon to expect M. Gardoqui, that I wished to be enabled to give
them accurate information on that point. He replied, that a variety of
particular circumstances had intervened to prevent his departure, but
that he _certainly_ should go unless he made personal objections to
it, and that _I might tell Congress so_.

I rose to take my leave. _He repeated what he had before said
respecting my sending M. Cabarrus to him_, and assured me of his
disposition to do what he could for us. I again thanked him, and we
parted in great good humor.

It is remarkable, that during the course of this conference, which was
free and diffusive, the Minister did not mention a syllable of the
King's discontents, nor hint the least dissatisfaction at the conduct
of Congress towards this Court. I cautiously avoided making any harsh
strictures on the delays I constantly met with, and though the
Minister's excuses for them were frivolous and merely ostensible, yet
it could have answered no good purpose to have declared that opinion
of them, especially at so delicate a period of our affairs.

As many bills to a considerable amount would be payable on the 14th of
March, I thought it high time that the Minister should declare his
intentions at least a day or two before, and therefore I desired M.
Cabarrus to wait upon the Minister, and confer with him on the
subject. M. Cabarrus accordingly went to the Pardo on the evening of
the 11th of March. He saw the Minister, and mentioned the purpose of
his visit. The Minister said, I must have misunderstood him; that it
was not until the last extremity that I was to send him, and he
desired M. Cabarrus to inform him when that should arrive. M. Cabarrus
repeated to me his former offers, and assured me that nothing on his
part should be wanting.

The Madrid Gazette of the 12th of March contained a paragraph, of
which you ought not to be ignorant. I shall therefore copy it
_verbatim_, and add a translation as literal as I can make it.

"By a letter from the Commandant General of the army of operations at
the Havanna, and Governor of Louisiana, his Majesty has advices, that
a detachment of sixtyfive militia men and sixty Indians of the
nations Otaguos, Sotu, and Putuami, under the command of Don Eugenio
Purre, a captain of militia, accompanied by Don Carlos Tayon, a
sub-lieutenant of militia, by Don Luis Chevalier, a man w