thought it might, on a future occasion, be adopted.

You will please to observe, that everything here mentioned came from
an individual, who only as such avowed himself interested for his
country's fate, and for its benefit sought information.
Notwithstanding the rise of stocks, occasioned by our misfortune on
Long Island, the Dutch are selling out, and my strongest
representations have not been wanting to contribute a mite to this
circumstance. The price of our product is great. Rice sells for
twentyfive shillings sterling per cwt. and tobacco for eight stivers
and four ---- per pound. You have been threatened, that the Ukraine
would supply Europe with tobacco. It must be long before that time can
arrive. I have seen some of the tobacco here, and the best of it is
worse than the worst of our ground leaf. Four hundred thousand pounds
have been sent here this year. The Russian Ambassador said at the
Baron le Guerre's, Ambassador from Sweden, where I had the honor to
dine, that Russia soon would be able to supply the market with that
article. In this he spoke more like an Ambassador than as a merchant.
I took occasion in reply to observe, that if that was the case, and on
many other accounts, it was the interest of her Majesty that all
intercourse between Great Britain and America should be broken off,
for that then the former would be dependent on Russia for all those
articles, which hitherto the latter had supplied her with.

Having expressed a desire of knowing these reasons at large, with the
assistance of M. D---- and the approbation of Mr Deane, I purpose
giving in a little memoir on the subject, which the Ambassador assures
me shall be sent to St Petersburg. Not being so sanguine as to think,
that it will prevent Russia from supplying England with troops, should
the other demand them, but it may give a secret dilatoriness to their
assistance, which may finally operate in our favor.

If it should be determined to send any cargoes of tobacco here, on the
public account, it will perhaps be thought proper to convoy them. The
frigates destined to that service might retaliate the injuries we have
received by the destruction of Falmouth and Norfolk, by destroying the
towns and shipping of Greenock and the port of Glasgow, or Ayre and
Cambleton. I have been particularly informed of the situation of
those places until the present moment. They have no batteries to
protect, or soldiers to defend them, or quartered near en