Papers of John Adams, volume 14
Translation
I have the pleasure of finally being able to give you good news of your son. The following note was written to me the day before yesterday by Mr. Visscher:
“I have seen a letter”1—it is from Mr. Van der Borch, the republic's envoy to Stockholm, to his brother here—“from Stockholm on 31 January. It contains the following lines, which may be of interest to Mr. Adams: ‘Young Adams went to spend the winter in Göteborg and Copenhagen.’ I would surmise he had already left Stockholm before 19 January,”2 or Mr. Van der Borch would have given him a letter for Mr. Visscher.
16 February 1783
Now, since Mr. Asp has written not only to Copenhagen but also to Elsinore and Göteborg, I have no doubt that we shall soon have direct news of him and that he shall set off instantly for The Hague. Madame Dumas and I shall take such good care of him that you need have no further worries on his count.3
I see in one of our Dutch papers a report from Paris announcing another minister, Mr. Faulkner.4 No one has warned us you would be leaving. If indeed this is true, since I have not the honor of knowing the gentleman, even by name, do please inform me of it.
I am with great respect, sir, your very humble and very obedient servant
Please be so kind, sir, as to seal and pass on the enclosed letter to Mr. De Lynden.5
P.S.6 My letter was already closed and about to leave when Mr. Pierre Alexandre Boué,7 a merchant from Hamburg, came to see me for the 276second time in fifteen days, with a bill of exchange dated 24 December for fifty ducats drawn by Mr. Charles Harras on your excellency, to the order of Mr. Lagau, French consul at Hamburg, as well as a letter for your excellency from Mr. Lagau, which I enclose. Mr. Boué will keep the letter of exchange until you favor me with orders to pay him or send it back without payment to Mr. Lagau without protest.8