Last Evening, after mine to you of Yesterdays date, was gone to the Post office, yours of the Sixth, was sent me from thence.

If I were to pray to Neptune, for Liberty of passing thro his Realm, again I should be tempted to Use the Form of a new converted American Indian, at Cape Cod, who went off in a fishing Vessell further to sea than he had ever been before, & was over taken by a storm. He had been taught he must pray, but had not been provided with a Form, so he addressed himself to his Divinity in these 35 Words “Let me ashore once again on that there Sandy Beach, (pointing to it with his Finger,) and if ever you catch me here again, I give you leave to drown me.”

Ever Since my Arrival in Holland, I have been employed in endeavours to find out if it is possible to obtain Money for Mr Morris Bills—in the first Place by the Aid or Warranty of the Public that is the Regency of Amsterdam, and upon reasonable moderate Terms. This our best Friends now agree is altogether desperate.— in the next Place to see if any Means could be found to induce Individuals to lend us Money Upon my old Obligations.— This is also agreed to be absolutely impossible for So many other Powers give higher Interest and Premiums, and So many doubts are entertained about our States agreeing upon Funds to pay them, their Interest, that nobody will hear a Word, of venturing farther in the old Loan. The last Resource is to see if by any new Plan of a Loan, We can induce the Undertakers to furnish the Money. They decline and delay, And insist upon extravagant Terms, but will not as yet tottally refuse, nor Say what will be their lowest Terms.— So that I cannot come to you, untill this matter is determined, because, if they will finally agree to any Thing, I must be here, to agree upon the Conditions and Sign the Obligations.

Dr Franklin and you, if Mr Laurens does not attend will be so good as to proceed, without waiting for me. I will readily answer any Question, according to the best of my Judgment, by Letter, and if you find any difficulty, and desire me to attend I will come as soon as I can.

We have had the honour to receive your most esteem’d Favour of the day before yesterday, and observe with pleasure that your Excellency agrees to the alteration which we have proposed by our last in the Plan of a new Loan.

We had this morning a conference with the Brokers, which was proposed for to have the answer of the Undertakers, and in which we expected the Matter should be quite regulated. But it is with a 36 great displeasure, that we were obliged to remit the conclusion till next monday, and that we are in the necessity to give you again such a disagreable account.

The Undertakers agree with us in the opinion that the Loan will have a very good Succes by a public Subscription, but they do not incline to run the risque of it for the whole amount. They only offer to engage till a Million or Some thing more, but we could not possibly Succeed to determine them to double the Sum, and because it is your absolute order that either all the Bills must be paid, or all return, we could not accept their offers, and in case your Excellency don’t incline in this situation to accommodate yourself to the circumstance, we fear all our endeavours will attend to no purpose. We feel how disagreable it is to your Excellency, but we beg to Submit to your consideration, that the Engagement for a Million will furnish us the Money to pay the first drafts, and that we have a good prospect that the Loan will be carried to the whole Capital of two Millions, or at least to Such an amount that before the other drafts become due, we will have money to pay them all. However in case this should not answer our wishes, you’ll please to consider, that for a Sum of Seven hundred fifty thousand Guilders, which were drawn at 150/d Sight, and which by consequence Must be paid in the Month of May, Mr. Morris took an arangement, that in case they might return unpaid, Congres should not pay any charges attending the return, and that by consequence whenever this should be the case, which we flatter ourself will not happen, the disappointment will be less fatal.

In these circumstances we venture to advise your Excellency to give us order by your answer to this, that we may monday accept the offer of the undertakers, for a Million, or so much more as they then will engage, and to open the Loan for two Millions upon the plan which you have approved, and then we will be certain to pay the first drafts, and have a good prospect likewise to pay the following, notwithstanding we have not the Satisfaction to have the Same certitude about it.

We beg to give us your answer upon these proposals by the morrow evening post, and have the honour to remain very respectfully / Sir / Your most humble / and most Obedient Servants.