er should miscarry; he
is First Under Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and acting Secretary of
the Council of State; and has the reputation of possessing great
abilities and application to business, and I believe he merits what is
said of him. He has also the entire confidence of the Count de Florida
Blanca; his residence in England as Secretary of the embassy there,
and his attention to Mr Cumberland and family while here, occasioned
some to believe him secretly inclined to the interests of that
country, but I believe without foundation, for I know that Mr
Cumberland left this country much chagrined, and I believe he was the
dupe of this gentleman's policy. I have had the satisfaction of being
on very good terms with him for several months past, and have often
expressed to him my hopes and wishes, that he might prove another M.
Gerard in our affairs. His being employed in this negotiation is so
far favorable to us as its successful issue interests his own
reputation, and will be probably a step to further honors and
employments, to which, as mentioned in my last, the public opinion
destines him. I hope the Court is now serious in its intentions to
conclude the negotiations, but it is still not improbable this
business may be delayed until the fate of the campaign is known,
unless it should be accelerated by the confirmation of news received
from Cadiz last week, of the arrival of the Count de Grasse's squadron
on the coast of Virginia, the consequent critical situation of the
army of Lord Cornwallis, and the defeat of Lord Rawdon by General
Greene.

I shall seize every opportunity of informing the Committee of the
progress made in this important business, and am happy to find by a
letter I have just had the honor to receive from Mr Lovell, dated the
15th of June, that my correspondence has contributed in any degree to
the satisfaction of Congress, but am surprised, that so few of my
letters have reached the Committee, for on reading the list of those
received and comparing it with my letter book, I find several missing,
which were sent by vessels from Bilboa and elsewhere, which I know
arrived in safety to America, particularly my answer to Mr Jay's
instructions to me at Cadiz, of which he sent only the state of the
revenues and expenses of this country in the year 1778.

I am informed by letters from Holland, that Mr Adams has had a nervous
fever, but that he is now in a fair way to recover. The South Carolina
frigate