Mr. Parker furnishes me an opportunity of acknoleging the receipt of your favors of Nov. 10. Dec. 6. 10. 18. & 25. which I avoid doing thro post. the orders on the subject of our captives at Algiers have come to me by the last packet.1 they are to be kept secret even from the captives themselves, lest a knolege of the interference of government should excite too extravagant demands. the settlement of the prices, in the first instance, is important as a precedent.— Willincks & Van Staphorsts answered that they had money enough to pay the February interest, and our draughts for salary for some time, but that the paiment of Fiseaux’ capital would oblige them to advance of their own money: they observed too that the paiment of such a sum without the orders of the treasury would lay them under an unnecessary responsibility. I therefore concluded the business by desiring them to pay the year’s interest becoming due tomorrow, and praying mr̃ Fiseaux to quiet the lenders with that till I could procure the orders of the Treasury to whom I wrote immediately an account of the whole transaction. I was the better satisfied with this on receiving your letter of the 25th. by which I find it your opinion that our credit may not suffer so materially. the declining the paiment came from the Willincks, the Van Staphorsts having offered to advance their moiety. I inclose you a letter I have received from the Comptroller general and an arret on the subject of our commerce. they are the proof sheets, as, at the moment of writing my letter, I have not yet received the fair ones. but the French column is correct enough to be understood.2 I would wish them not to be public till they are made so on the other side of the water.— I think the alliance of this court with the two imperial ones is going on well. you will have heard of the Emperor’s having attempted to surprise Belgrade & failed in the attempt. this necessarily engages him in the war, & so tends to continue it. I think it settled that this country abandons the Turks.3

Mr. Parker takes charge of the 10. aunes of double Florence for mr̃s. Adams. the silk stockings are not yet ready. I had ordered them to be made by the hermits of Mont Calvaire who are famous for the excellence & honesty of their work, & prices.4 they will come by the first good opportunity. Be so good as to present my respects to her, 247 and to be assured of the sincere attachment & respect of Dear Sir / Your most obedient / & most humble servant

I last night received your favour of the 25th. of last month— Mr. Jefferson has received lately by Commodore Jones further proceedings of Congress, which perhaps may have altered his sentiments of the Propriety of paying off the 51.000 florins to Mr. Fizeau & Co: as I apprehend Congress have made a different arrangement for that purpose— For myself, Gentlemen, I should be glad with all my heart to comply with your request to me, to desist from accepting further drafts for account of the United states, and shall certainly do so as far as possible

But I am sorry to inform you, that I shall be obliged to draw upon Messrs Pullers, on your account and consequently on account of the United states, for a large sum of money in the Course of this & the next month— You may have seen in the public Prints that in consequence of my request to Congress, almost a year ago. I am now permitted to return to America in the spring— As I shall not think it prudent to embark before the Vernal Equinox, I must draw for Cash to live on for three months at least to come which will ammount to six hundred Guineas—we will say— There is allowed by a standing resolution of Congress to every foreign minister six 248 hundred & 25 pounds, to pay his expences of preparations & Voyage home—& where there is a family & furniture as in my case it will be found little enough— There are some debts of the United states to be paid here moreover, before I go. so that I can’t hope to get away without drawing for 15 or 1600 Guineas—

Besides this Colonel Smith the secretary of the Legation of the United states here must have the means of living & the means of returning home with his family to what amount his demands will arise I know not yet— upon the whole, I shall use on my own part as I ever have done the utmost frugality in my power but I cannot avoid drawing for those sums— Tho’ Mr. Fizzeaux 51.000 Guilders should remain unpaid, till the plan of Congress takes effect— In order to save the expences of a Journey to the Hague & Amsterdam, amongst other reasons—I shall not go in Person to take leave of their High Mightinesses— I take the liberty to communicate to you in Confidence, a Copy of the resolution of Congress by which I am recalled— Delicacy would have forbidden me to communicate it, to any one in Holland, before it was communicated to their High Mightinesses and the Prince, if it had not been already printed in all the American Newspapers & taken from thence into those of Europe to you Gent. & your family’s I wish the compliments of the season & to wish all happiness & prosperity.

Yours.