the commissions, of which Mr. Thomas Pinckney, now on his
way to London as our Minister Plenipotentiary there, will be the bearer.
Supposing that there exists a disposition to thwart our negotiations
with the Algerines, and that this would be very practicable, we have
thought it advisable that the knowledge of this appointment should rest
with the President, Mr. Pinckney, and myself; for which reason you will
perceive, that the commissions are all in my own hand-writing. For the
same reason, entire secrecy is recommended to you, and that you so cover
from the public your departure and destination, as that they may not be
conjectured or noticed; and at the same time, that you set out after as
short delay as your affairs will possibly permit.

In order to enable you to enter on this business with full information,
it will be necessary to give you a history of what has passed.

On the 25th of July, 1785, the schooner Maria, Captain Stevens,
belonging to a Mr. Foster, of Boston, was taken off Cape St. Vincent's,
by an Algerine cruiser; and five days afterwards, the ship Dauphin,
Captain O'Bryan, belonging to Messrs. Irwins of Philadelphia, was taken
by another, about fifty leagues westward of Lisbon. These vessels, with
their cargoes and crews, twenty-one persons in number, were carried into
Algiers. Mr. John Lambe, appointed agent for treating of peace between
the United States and the government of Algiers, was ready to set out
from France on that business, when Mr. Adams and myself heard of these
two captures. The ransom of prisoners being a case not existing when
our powers were prepared, no provision had been made for it. We thought,
however, we ought to endeavor to ransom our countrymen, without waiting
for orders; but at the same time, that acting without authority, we
should keep within the lowest price which had been given by any other
nation. We therefore gave a supplementary instruction to Mr. Lambe to
ransom our captives, if it could be done for two hundred dollars a man,
as we knew that three hundred French captives had been just ransomed by
the Mathurins, at a price very little above this sum. He proceeded to
Algiers; but his mission proved fruitless. He wrote us word from thence,
that the Dey asked fifty-nine thousand four hundred and ninety-six
dollars for the twenty-one captives, and that it was not probable he
would abate much from that price. But he never intimated an idea
of agreeing to give it. As he ha