I was delighted to learn at last of your safe arrival. I begin, as you instructed, by informing your excellency of events taking place here. To this end I think it best to submit for your perusal my enclosed letter, no. 7, to Mr. Livingston; after you have read it and appended the corrections you deem necessary, please seal it and have it forwarded to Mr. Barclay and Mr. Moylan at Lorient, to be sent on.1 I have almost nothing to add to this and to what you can learn subsequently from the Gazette de Leyde, readily obtainable in Paris, except that in all probability Mr. Van der Capellen tot den Pol's victory in Overijssel will soon be followed by that of Mr. Van Berckel in Amsterdam, and that on 20 November he will reappear here in the assembly, more radiant than ever.2

If I am to follow literally the orders Mr. Thaxter gave me in his letter of 30 October,3 I think I must forward with the above all the letters that have come for you since your departure. I have answered those written me by people who knew you had left, and which contained nothing of major importance.

I hope you received the medal and letter from Mr. Holtzhey of Amsterdam, which his excellency the Duc de La Vauguyon was kind enough to send by way of the courier he dispatched fifteen days ago.4

The person who sent you a letter via the same courier longs to be able to come and talk to you freely about important concerns and to act at once accordingly.5

I still have a package, originally sent from America, that arrived recently from Lorient and cost seventeen florins in postage. Since you authorized me when you left to open these parcels from America, I did so. It contained no newspaper, but:

1. Three letters for your excellency from Mr. Livingston, dated 29 May, 30 May, and 4 July, Nos. 7 and 8 triplicate, and No. 9, and a letter from Mr. L. R. Morris dated 5 July.6 Since I have reason to suppose you already have copies of these letters, it seemed to me they should remain in your writing desk, at least until I hear otherwise.

2. A letter with a loose seal from Mr. Livingston, dated 29 May, No. 5 triplicate, accompanied by one from Mr. L. R. Morris for Mr. Dana in St. 50Petersburg,7 and another larger letter, sealed, for the same person. Again, I await your instructions to know if I should send them both to him, by what path, and to what address.

Today I am only informing you of public business. The post is about to leave, and I am postponing news of other matters, which is not urgent, until next week. Suffice it to say that all is well with the house, which has been cleaned in the last few days, so that you will find everything in a state of order and cleanliness, especially your apartment, which we are careful to keep locked. Meanwhile my wife, who sends her respects, and I compare ourselves to the vox clamantis in deserto.8

With sincere respect, sir, I remain your very humble and very obedient servant