You need not I presume be informed of the difficulties which the People of the United States continue to suffer through the great scarcity of Salt. To lessen these difficulties, and at the same time to benefit myself, I propose during the present Winter to send several Cargoes of that necessary Commodity to our Countrey, and I wish to do it from Portugal rather than any where else, on account of the superior goodness of the Salt of that Kingdom, as well as to escape the danger of Capture by Brittish Cruisers, to which, Vessells going from France are Particularly exposed. You have been pleased to inform me, that there is no resolution of Congress against trading to the United States directly from Portugal, and therefore beg leave to sollicit the favor of Passports from you for the Vessells which I may cause to be loaded with Salt in Portugal for America. Such Passports I conceive will be highly necessary to remove the apprehensions which Merchants and Masters may have in that Kingdom from the supposed unfriendliness of Portugal and the United States towards each other, as well as to procure the Protection of American Ships of War and Privateers, which they may not other wise give, on account of similar erroneous apprehensions in their Commanders.

I am with the greatest respect, Honorable Sirs, Your most humble & most obed Servant

We have received the Letter which your Excellency did Us the Honour to write to Us on the 21 instant, relative to the Isabella, retaken from a Guernsey Privateer, by Captain McNeil in the General Mifflin.

As it is extreamly probable that the Compte D'Estaing has retaken several American Vessells from the English, We shall no dout Soon have Intelligence, what has been done in those Cases.

We have advised Captain McNeil, to have one Third of the Produce {p. 83} of the Isabella in the Hands of such public officer as your Excellency, shall point out, to be repaid to him or restored to the original Proprietor of the Isabella hereafter, according to the Rule which shall be adopted by the two Nations, and to this Captain McNeil has agreed. <We have the Honour to be> Captain McNeil will have the Honour to deliver this Letter to your Excellency, and is ready to give your Excellency any assurance you may require of him, and to take the Charge of your Dispatches respecting this Affair, if your Excellency is disposed to do him the Honour to entrust them to his Care.