should make an eventual arrangement.

"This arrangement may be made in the following manner. A right line
should be drawn from the eastern angle of the Gulf of Mexico, which
makes the section between the two Floridas, to Fort Toulouse, situated
in the country of the Alabamas; from thence the river Loneshatchi
should be ascended, from the mouth of which a right line should be
drawn to the Fort or Factory Quenassee; from this last place, the
course of the river Euphasee is to be followed till it joins the
Cherokee; the course of this last river is to be pursued to the place
where it receives the Pelisippi; this last to be followed to its
source, from whence a right line is to be drawn to Cumberland river,
whose course is to be followed until it falls into the Ohio. The
savages to the westward of the line described should be free under the
protection of Spain; those to the eastward should be free, and under
the protection of the United States; or rather, the Americans may make
such arrangements with them, as is most convenient to themselves. The
trade should be free to both parties.

"By looking over the chart we shall find, that Spain would lose almost
the whole course of the Ohio, and that the establishments, which the
Americans may have on this river, would remain untouched, and that
even a very extensive space remains to form new ones.

"As to the course and navigation of the Mississippi, they follow with
the property, and they will belong, therefore, to the nation to which
the two banks belong. If then, by the future treaty of peace, Spain
preserves West Florida, she alone will be the proprietor of the
course of the Mississippi from the thirtyfirst degree of latitude to
the mouth of this river. Whatever may be the case with that part,
which is beyond this point to the north, the United States of America
can have no pretensions to it, not being masters of either border of
this river.

"As to what respects the lands situated to the northward of the Ohio,
there is reason to presume that Spain can form no pretensions thereto.
Their fate must be regulated with the Court of London."

I did not return M. Rayneval any answer to his letter, nor any remarks
on his memoir, but the first time I saw him afterwards I told him, I
had received his letter and memoir he had done me the honor to write,
and that I should send a copy of it to our Secretary for Foreign
Affairs.

As both the letter and memoir were _ostensibly_ wri