I have Examined, Sir, the Extracts, which you have done me the honor to send me, of letters written by various Englishmen relating to the American privateers who cruise in the waters of the Windward Islands. I have seen that they continue to maintain that several of these privateers belong to the inhabitants of Martinique and Guadeloupe, and that the sale of the English prizes takes place publicly in our islands, and particularly at St. Lucia. On this occasion the English ship Venus, taken by a privateer belonging to Mr. Prejent, with a commission from the Congress, is again referred to, which formed the Subject of a note recently sent to you by the English Ambassador. I can only refer to the letter which I had the honor of writing to you on the 14th instant on the subject of the ship Venus. I am still as convinced of the impossibility of preventing every abuse, as of the exaggeration of the facts which arouse the complaints of the Court of London. I am repeating, moreover, to the Marquis de Bouille, the orders which I addressed to him in my letter of the 14th instant, to forestall and put a stop to all clearances which might be disguised, as well as to observe the neutrality which has been prescribed to him by his instructions. I am instructing him again to inform the Commandant of St. Lucia that the admission of Foreigners into the ports of the Island, must not be extended to Privateers bringing in prizes, in regard to which he must conform to the rules of neu­ trality by obliging the Privateers to set sail again with their prizes within 24 hours, save those exceptional cases provided for by the Ordinance of 1681, and by preventing all sale of prizes or their cargoes. I am addressing the same orders to the Governor of Guadeloupe, and desire him, as well as the Marquis de Bouille, to give me an account, in the greatest detail, of all the facts which have given or may give rise to complaints on the part of the English

I have the honor to be with very sincere attachment [&c.]