Sir

We have received your Letters relative to the Disputes between two of your Officers & some of your Men belonging to this Nation,¹ & we are of Opinion that if the Men are inlisted upon the Ships Books, to go to Boston, they ought to return to the Ship, & be received by you, & are intitled to their Wages & prize money. But if they are not inlisted in writing to go to Boston, but only for a Cruise, that Cruise is compleated by the Ships Return to France & they have a Right to leave the Ship if they chuse it, & are intitled to their Share of Wages & prize money, deducting therefrom however what has been advanced them by the Captain & Purser—You are strictly enjoined to take special Care that all Frenchmen who may be in the Service under you be at all times treated with Justice & Impartiality, & that Suitable Allowances be made for the Difficulties they are under in not understanding our Language, & not being habituated to our Customs—We are Your humble Serv’ts

P.S. If however the Men insist on leaving the Ship altho’ inlisted expressly to go to Boston, we advise you to agree to it, but in that Case we think they are not intitled to wages or prize Money—