Gentlemen,

I wrote at my Departure from Nantz which I hope Came safe to hand & now imbrace this oppertunity of informing you of the Success of my last Cruize, We Captured five Sail, none of which will be very Valueable brought them all Safe in here. One of them Swallow Packet from Falmouth bound to Lisbon in Ballast engaged 45 Minutes before she Struck We had one Man Kill'd & My first Leiut had his left Arm blow'd off by our own Gun the Leiut. of Marines was Slightly Wounded in the Wrist, but they are both in a fair Way to recover ー The Coming into any French Ports with prizes is Attended with so many difficulties that I have wrote to Doctor Franklin desireing him to Send me home & am in hopes he will do so as soon as possible ー Soon after my arrival I received an order from the Judge of the Admiralty Court to depart in Twenty four Hours with all my Prizes however found Means to evade those Orders and got soon the Matter Settled with the Judge ー in Eight days after I received an order from the Intendant of this Port to Depart in 24 Hours with all my prizes and not to presume to enter into any other French port under pain of being Seized he further inform'd me, If I offered to Cruize on this Coast, that a French Frigate would be dispatch'd to take me. If those threats were all to be put in Execution my Situation would be truely deplorable as I am informed there is Now several Brittish Ships of Warr Cruizing for me, those orders from the French Ministry I look on as Fenness and only given to Save appearances and gain time, as they are not yet quite ready for a Warr, but I think it will certainly take place in May or June. 

It was with much difficulty I could evade the last positive order from the Ministry, given me by the Intendant, I then beged leave to heave the Ship Down as she was very leaky, he told me it was not in his power to Grant me Liberty I then told him the prizes were all dispatch'd & if he chose to Send the Reprisal out he must put hands on board, as me & my Officers and Men were determined not to proceed in her, in the present Condition & Desired him to Send Carpenters and Caulkers on board to Survey her, This he consented to, when they return'd they told him they thought it highly Necessary to heave her Down, He then told me he Could not grant me liberty unless those Officers would Sign a Certificate that they thought the Ship would be in Emminent Danger if sent out without repairing this they Could not do as they had not been on board long Enough to know how much Water she made in an hour, they Came on board the Next day on a Second Survey when they remained 4 Hours on board, and on their return signed a Satisfactory Certificate, the Intendant then granted me liberty to Come into Port and heave Down as our prizes is all gone I am in hopes my troubles are nearly at an end, I Sold the Packett for 16,000 Livers clear of all losses reclaimations or other Demands after Striping her of Every thing that was Valuable, I shall refer you to Thomas Morris Esqr for the particulars concerning the other Prizes as he Transacted that Bussiness personally.

I Recd a letter this day from the Honb!es Doctor Franklin & Silas Dean informing me of those orders by the Ministry at Paris, but think they are only to Stop the Clamour of the British Ambassadore & says they hope I shall be able to stay longer than the time limmitted. When I first Arrived I wrote to your Honble Commissioners at Paris Informing them of the Number of Prisoners taken, & as there had lately been two American Private Ships of Warr taken I thought it a good oppertunity to Negotiate an Exchange of Prisoners. in thier answer they say they will emeadiately apply to Lord Stormont for an Exchange but did not think it Could be done without orders from the Brittish Court ー I was permitted to keep them on board 7 days after my Arrival & then obliged to Discharge them & take the Intendants Certificate for their discharge, from Gentlemen [&c.]

P.S. Inclosed you have an Exact list of the Prizes & Cargoes ²