I continue to account to your excellency as well as to Congress for how I gave a second declaration to serve as a sea letter, to the effect “that Mr. Theod. Gallois, Ship-Brooker for the American trade at Amst. has sent to me and exhibited in Original, the legal Transport or Deed, passed in Oct. 28th. before Mr. E. M. Dorper, public Notary of Holl. at Amst., by Mr. L. M. Graves for himself & for his Partners Mess. Graves & Co: Merchts. at Amst., by which they have sold & transported in full property, to Mess. Vos, De Vyver & Graves Merchts. at Charlestown in Sth. Carolina, the Brig of late called Vry van Dwinglandy & com̃anded by Mr. Jan Schram, with all her appurtenances, and so as she lyes actually before the City of Amsterdam— And that he has also exhibited to me in Original, the Certificate of their Lordships the Burgomasters and regency of Amstm., by which on Nov. 18 has appeared before them Mr. Isaac De Vyver, and declared upon Oath so M. G. A. h. h, that the aforesaid Brig, now called the Purpoise, of the Burthen of about 65 lasts,1 and com̃anded by Mr. Miles Cosson of Boston, is the full property of him Isaac de Vyver and of his aforesaid Company established at Charlestown in S. Carolina, and of them alone; and that she is actually bound from Amst. to Charlestown in S. Carolina laden with Goods and Merchandises. &c. &c.”2

At the same time I had Mr. Gallois sign for me “that he has received 440 gratis from Mr. Dumas a Declaration to serve as a Sea-Letter for the Brig the Purpoise, com̃d. by Mr. Miles Cosson of Boston, and being the property of &c. Merchts. at Charlestown, without pretending or accepting any reward for it what so ever, in behalf of Mr. Dumas, who has also returned him the Deed & Certificate mentioned in the aforesaid Declaration.”

By now this brig must have sailed from Amsterdam.

We here continue to be in a state of uncertainty regarding peace or war. That will be cleared up, however, before the end of the year. On 26 November the States General of Holland adopted a final resolution, very mortifying to the Council of State, which will have important ripples.3

I will soon be hounded anew by Mr. Thulemeier for a response to the letters that I sent for him to the honorable commission in care of Mr. David Humphreys and most recently to your excellency. I hope that they have not been intercepted at all and that your excellency also received the one that I sent by way of Mr. Storer.4

Your excellency’s very humble and very obedient servant