in such cases, and that those forms rendered it proper for
Ministers to exchange copies of their commissions, before they
proceeded on the business, which was the object of them.

The Count d'Aranda was very urgent, that I should mark on his map some
line or other to the eastward of the Mississippi, to which we could
agree; and on the 26th of August we had another conference on these
subjects. I told him frankly, that we were bound by the Mississippi,
and that I had no authority to cede any territories east of it to his
Catholic Majesty, and that all I could do relative to it, was to
transmit his proposition to Congress for their consideration.

He affected to be much surprised, that I should have no discretionary
authority on that subject, and observed, that he had supposed I was a
Minister Plenipotentiary. I told him, that few Ministers
Plenipotentiary had discretionary power to transfer and cede to others
the countries of their sovereigns. He denied, that the countries in
question were our countries, and asked what right we had to
territories, which manifestly belong to free and independent nations
of Indians. I answered that those were points to be discussed and
settled between us and them; that we claimed the right of preemption
with respect to them, and the sovereignty with respect to all other
nations. I reminded him, that Mexico and Peru had been in the same
predicament, and yet that his Catholic Majesty had had no doubts of
his right to the sovereignty of those countries.

He then desired me to write him a letter on the subject, in order that
he might with the greater accuracy convey my sentiments to his Court.

On the 4th of September, I received the following letter from M. de
Rayneval.

Translation.

"Versailles, September 4th, 1782.

"Sir,

"I should be glad to have a conversation with you on the subject of
the boundaries in regard to Spain, but it is impossible for me to go
to Paris for this purpose. You would oblige me, if you would have the
goodness to come to Versailles tomorrow morning. It will give me great
pleasure to see you at dinner. Meanwhile I have the honor, &c.

RAYNEVAL."

I accordingly waited upon M. de Rayneval. He entered into a long
disquisition of our claims to the western country. It is unnecessary
to repeat in this place what he said on those s