e above letter, for in the sequel you
will find it of some importance."

_M. de Rayneval's Memoir respecting the Right of the United States to
the Navigation of the Mississippi._

Translation.

"The question between Spain and the United States of North America is,
how to regulate their respective limits towards the Ohio and the
Mississippi. The Americans pretend, that their dominion extends as far
as the Mississippi, and Spain maintains the contrary.

"It is evident, that the Americans can only borrow from England the
right they pretend to have to extend as far as the Mississippi;
therefore, to determine this right, it is proper to examine what the
Court of London has thought and done on this head.

"It is known, that before the treaty of Paris, France possessed
Louisiana and Canada, and that she considered the savage people,
situated to the east of the Mississippi, either as independent, or as
under her protection.

"This pretension caused no dispute; England never thought of making
any, except as to the lands situated towards the source of the Ohio,
in that part where she had given the name of Alleghany to that river.

"A discussion about limits at that time took place between the Courts
of Versailles and London, but it would be superfluous to follow the
particulars; it will suffice to observe, that England proposed in 1755
the following boundary. It set out from the point where the River de
Boeuf falls into the Ohio, at the place called Venango; it went up
this river towards lake Erie as far as twenty leagues, and setting off
again from the same place, Venango, a right line was drawn as far as
the last mountains of Virginia, which descend towards the ocean. As to
the savage tribes situated between the aforesaid line and the
Mississippi, the English Minister considers them as independent; from
whence it follows, that according to the very propositions of the
Court of London, almost the whole course of the Ohio belonged to
France, and that the countries situated to the westward of the
mountains were considered as having nothing in common with the
Colonies.

"When peace was negotiated in 1761, France offered to make a cession
of Canada to England. The regulation of the limits of this Colony and
Louisiana was in question. France pretended that almost the whole
course of the Ohio made a part of Louisiana, and the Court of London,
to prove that this river belonged t