I have delayed for some Time writing to your Excellency, being desirous of compleating someg. of Importance.— I have now the pleasure of informing you, that I have contracted in my own Name, & in behalf of others in America, for Oil to the Amt of 400,000 Livres per annum, for 6 years, at a price which I think will answer, I have the Guarrantee of Mess Le Couteulx, for accepting 1/3 bills on purchase in America in Cash @ 90 60 Days & 2/3 Credit on 129 Manufactures on delivery of the Oil, for Goods, wherever I shall procure them

These Gentlemen have not only promised me their support, during my Connection wth. them in this Business, but have enabled me to take one quarter of the Contract myself—

As this Supply is only for Paris, & its Invirons, there will be an opening throughout the Kingdom for the Introduction, to all speculators. & I shall be so connected in the sea Ports, as to afford the support of Mess Le Couteulx, to any persons, who may send their Merchandize to any part of the Kingdom—

The Marquis de la fayette has been indefatigable in this Business, & I doubt not We shall be able to obtain a Continuance of the same privellidges as are enjoyd by the Dutch, & hanse Towns— if the present Duties are raised on them, they will be on us—but Ministry do not incline absolutely to engage the Continuance for the Term of my Contract,—which will cease if the Duties are raised—

It will afford me the highest pleasure, if through your Excellencys recommendation, some public mark of Approbation of the Marquis’ Conduct in this Matter, might be had from our Court—

I shall sail for New York per the packet. a Letter from your Excellency per return of post will just reach me. I wish much for your Approbation of my Conduct— on my return, I shall sett down near this City, to be in the best situation, for return Cargoes to which I shall attend— Mr Le Couteulx house in Rouen will receive & deliver the Oil, to the person to whom I have sold it— As I found it impossible to form any Contract, without ascertaining my Securities on the other side the water, I was obligd to promise only 2 or 3 principal Merchants shd. be named—who might be responsible—& thout it best to make Contract for the Introduction of a certain Quantity even under this Limitation of the utmost Importance—especially as the Amount, could not intile it to be called a Monopoly, & it would be the means of a general Introduction of an Article of so much Consequence to us—

Let me beg a Line from your Excellency in Answer to this, that I may have your opinion, whether I have acted right—1

As I would not wish to have this Matter made public, I have inform’d no one of the Contract I have made, but your Excelly to whom I thot it my Duty to be explicit—

I have the honour to be with the most perfect Esteem, / Your Excellency’s / Most Obd & mo hl Servant

I send you by Mr. Joy, all the writings which have fallen in my way, against the slave trade— I mentioned your Desire to read, whatever you could find upon that subject to Mr. Granville sharp who requests your acceptance of what he has written upon that subject—1 you may not Know the Character of this Gentleman, He is the Grand son of the famous Archbishop sharp, very amiable & benevolent in his Disposition, and a voluminous writer, but as Zealously attached to Episcopacy & the Athenasian Creed as he is to vivil & religious Liberty—a mixture which in this Country is not common— By the late advises from America—Retaliation & navigation Acts are the words, every where but these retaliations will be confined to those nations who have no Commercial Treaties with us at least, if not to G. Britain alone, the massts. have alterd their act so as to make it unobjectionable to france & Holland, which I am very glad to hear— Rhode Island has made a navigation act against England as strong as those of Massachusetts & New Hampshire—

Mr. Joy the Bearer of this I beg to introduce to you— He desires to go in a french ship to the East Indies, to promote the trade between the U. States & those Countries— His Father is a Refugee, but he is an American, and means Well as I believe to our Country, any assistance you may give him, will much oblige him.

The Massachusetts have given a Bounty upon whale oil, white and brown sperma Cæti oil, as well as the Common train oil, which together with Boylstone’s successfull adventure and Barretts Contract will soon introduce a brisk trade between Boston and France, By the renovation of the newfoundland Bill you see the skill and Industry with which this Country is playing its Commerce into the hands of Your Nation, who I hope will not loose the oppertunity of taking advantage of it, by cultivating the trade in all its Branches— the present moment’s are precious—

You see how things are going in the East Indies and if your Countrymen are as deep Politicians as I think them, they will invite the Americans to that Quarter by all means. last week a ship was 131 insured at Loyds Coffee House from Bengal to Rhode Island. The trade between the U. States and the East Indies is spreading fast— and all nations except the English are fond of encouraging it, for very obvious Reasons,

The English only have any thing to loose, all the rest have something to gain by it.

I am &c