agreeably to what I suppose to be the
intention of Congress. I will send the abovementioned account as soon
as the gentleman, who has promised to procure it for me, shall furnish
me with it.

I have the honor to be, &c.

FRANCIS DANA.

* * * * *

TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

St Petersburg, December 30th, 1782.

Sir,

Yesterday's post has not brought us any further news respecting the
peace. The French Minister has received no account of it yet, nor have
I from the Commissioners. No one, however, doubts that the
preliminaries are in fact signed. It is supposed no courier will be
despatched with them till after advice shall have been received at
Paris, that an account of it has been communicated to Parliament,
which were to meet on the 5th instant. The particular articles are not
_certainly_ known here. This is the present state of things, and we
anxiously wait for full information.

As we can have no interests now depending upon any contingency, I
think it would not be advisable to appear very eager to seize upon the
first occasion to make the communication of my mission, but to wait,
if they be not too long delayed, for the answers of Dr Franklin and
Mr Adams to the application I have made to them, as mentioned in
several of my letters, when I shall know what I have to depend upon
touching the principal object of my mission, and can better govern
myself as to the communication of it. For to speak of a matter about
which I am unable to do anything, would be to place ourselves in a
disagreeable condition.

I expect to find a strong inclination to come to the business alluded
to, for reasons which will be very obvious to you. The commercial
treaty with Portugal is not yet finished. Sweden has one upon the
carpet. There may be an advantage in waiting till these are concluded,
as we may found ours upon them. I shall give a preference to the
commercial treaty, and endeavor to postpone the other, in which we can
have no present interests, until I shall receive the instructions of
Congress, after they shall have been advised, by my letter of
September 5th, of what is essential to the execution of it. There is
something besides to be distributed among the subalterns of the
Chancery; so that upon the whole, both treaties will cost us between
nine and ten thousand pounds sterl