Sir.

In consequence of your desire I have the Honour to inclose you an Account of the motive of my Mission in America by which you will see the verbal instructions I have received from his most Christian Majesties Ministers in the Month of November last year.¹ invincible obstacles of which my Court is already informed have deprived me of the happiness of arriving here sooner, and of beeing the first to inform you of the Kings favourable dispositions. but I have now the satisfaction to acquaint you that his Majesty has extended his Goodness and Generosity even to the subjects of the United States, by authorising me to pay to the Owners of two American frigates the Hancock and the Boston commanded by the Captains Babson & Hendrick the sum of Four hundred thousand Livers tournois, by a letter of the first of February last of which I have the honour to inclose you a coppy.² and I beg sir that you will be pleased to communicate that Letter to the August Assembly over which you Preside and to assure it of the particular satisfaction I feell in being employd in so interesting an occasion. if during my residence here I can merit its confidence it will be a great increase to my happiness as I am directed to wait here for his Majesties and his Ministers further instructions. I am with Respect Sir [&c.] 

[Enclosure]

I am directed by the Ministers of his most Christian Majesty to Declare that his Majesty is most sincerely interested in the happiness and Independance of the united American States and to make known that the ressources and Powerfull assistance they have found in the Commerce of his subjects and the Protection and facility they have met with in his Ports are its Effects and the prooff. I am authorised allso to declare that his Majesty desirous to give them further testimony of it was disposed to receive favourably the proposal of a treaty of Allyance and Commerce with the United States, and that his intentions were not to lay any restraint on their Views in Consequence of which he desires that proper Powers may be sent to the representatives of Congress in France, in case those they have should not be sufficiently extensive. 

I am directed to make the strongest representations relative to the Insults committed by American Privateers against the French and Spanish Flags, who have searched and plundered several merchant Vessells belonging to those two Nations, the Courts of France and Spain expect that Congress will take the quickest and most efficacious methods—to put a stop to such insults and give them the most compleat satisfaction on this head, so that their Flags may be respected over all the seas, and that their subjects may enjoy the advantages of a Free trade. 

It has been recommended to me to represent how dangerous it would be for the united States to enter into any Treaty with the Court of London without the intervention of European Powers who are concern'd in guarantying the Independance of the United States, the Faithfull Execution of the treaty they should conclude; the Number, nature and situation of the possession still in the Possession of the English on this continent, would point out this Necessity if the ambitious, interested and insidious Views of that Court did not sufficiently demonstrate

York town June 16. 1778.