I, Yesterday received your Letter of July 25, and am obliged to you for the Information it contains.

You may possibly have heard an erroneous Report, of what Mr Lamb Said to the Dey. it is not likely that He made any Promises. however that may be, We must all wait the orders of Congress.

It is painfull to the Mind of a Freeman, to think that he is in Slavery, and every one of your Countrymen I doubt not Sincerely Simpathizes with You: but by the best Accounts your actual Sufferings are much less than those which were the Lot of hundreds of our brave Countrymen in the Prisons of England during the late War. The Consideration of this will induce you to keep up your Spirits, and bear with as much Patience as possible, what cannot be avoided: Since the unfortunate Situation of our Country, may render it impossible for her to relieve you so soon as she would wish.

We are much obliged to the French and Spanish Nations, for their polite and Friendly Behaviour to you, as well as to all others of our Countrymen, wherever they meet them. And if the British Nation had as much Wisdom, their Consuls, Ministers and other officers abroad would be equally civil.

I am very Sorry it is not in my Power, to give you any Assurances, or comfortable hopes of Speedy Relief. Nothing can be done without the Instructions and assistance of Congress and what their determination will be, I know not. and to deceive you with false hopes, would be neither agreable to my Duty nor long pleasing to You. nothing could be more agreable to me, than to receive from my Superiours orders and means to procure You Liberty, being with very Sensible / Feelings for your Misfortune, sir your most obedient / and most humble servant

Your Letter of July 18 was brought to me Yesterday, and your Letter to Mr. Foster with its Enclosures, shall be sent to Boston by the first oppertunity,1 and any other Letters you may think proper to write, and send under cover to me shall be forwarded as early as possible—2 I sincerely wish it were in my Power to do you more material service, but it is not

If mr. Lamb has deceived the Dey, by making promises, not in his power to perform, so much the worse for him: but I hope better things, and that the report you have heared is ill founded—

You think that your “Redemption nothing concerns the Peace,” but in this I am not clear— The Relations and private friends of Persons who have had like you the misfortune to be in Captivity, have sometimes redeemed them but I believe that Government at the public expence have rarely if ever done it, but upon the Conclusion of a peace And in Your case, although I cannot pretend to say what Congress will do, yet I doubt very much whether they will think themselves justifiable, in redeeming you, untill a peace shall be made—to agree to pay at the public expence such exorbitant demands, as no other Nation, ever paid, perhaps, would be not only encouraging an extravagant avidity, upon future Occasions, but would be such an humiliation, as in my opinion Congress will never submit to—

Mr. Lamb will not go again to algiers, in all probability, nor can I at present say, when any other person will be sent, nor who it will be—

Be of good cheer Nevertheless, in hopes that your Redemption draweth nigh. Your Country is not insensible to your situation & will do all for you, that she can, consistently with Justice and Prudence—

I am sir / Your Countryman &c