to Mr Jay has been intercepted. No delicacy is preserved
by this Court on this head. This practice is not confined to us, but
extends to the correspondence of all the _corps diplomatique_. It has
happened, that in the hurry of resealing letters thus examined, papers
belonging to the department, in which they were opened, have been
carelessly enclosed by the Secretary, and returned to the Minister by
the person to whom the letters were addressed. Without a cypher it
will be impossible for me to be so punctual as may be expected, for at
present I am obliged to send most of my letters by private hands, or
by the French Ambassador's couriers to the sea-ports, which
circumstance often retards their arrival in America.

Our situation with respect to money matters is still critical. The
drafts which Dr Franklin is obliged to pay are so frequent, that he
has not been able to obtain cash to enable Mr Jay to discharge the
bills accepted by him here, for which M. Cabarrus, as has been
mentioned in former letters, is nearly forty thousand dollars in
advance. Happily there are few bills due until the middle of next
month, which will give Dr Franklin time to endeavor to save our credit
here, and to this Ministry to reflect on the consequence of denying us
this small succor. The Count de Florida Blanca has been lately
solicited on this subject by the French Ambassador, and without giving
hopes of affording the sum demanded, he promised to do what the
urgency of their own wants permit him to do for us. In this
conversation he appeared dissatisfied, that Congress had taken no
notice of the desire he had expressed of obtaining one of the vessels
constructing in the Eastern ports, for the United States, and
complained, that no returns had been made by the States to the proofs
the King had manifested, of his favorable disposition towards them. In
fact their own necessities are evident.

In addition to what I have heretofore mentioned on this head, I have
lately been informed from good authority, that a person to whom the
Crown is indebted twelve millions of reals, in order to obtain
payment, has been constrained to propose to purchase the salt
belonging to his Majesty, to the amount of twentyfour millions of
reals, for the payment of which, after deducting the sum due to him,
he is obliged to advance immediately five millions of reals, although
he has little hopes of disembarrassing himself shortly, of such an
immense quantity of an arti