Gentlemen

I omitted mentioning in my last that I had Drawn on you in favor of Messrs Montadouin for 1500 Livers at 8 days date which please to honor — Capt Hynson & myself will go to paimbeof tomorrow to Examine the Due De Chartres.² I mentioned to you that her price was 68,000 Livers but that is the price offered for her the Owners Ask 70,000 for her this is a great deal of money but I realy think it will be better to purchase than to freight even if one could be had I do not hear of any Ship that would answer our purpose to be procured on freight & I find that the people here Expects at least as much Extraordinary freight as would insure the Ship and the Extraordinary Gratifications to the Capt &people in addittion to which our pressing occasion would prehaps augment the price & the Merchts prehaps make great proffit — If we purchase you will have a Ship that is capable of carrying all your Stores at once & the 30 Cases of Arms which I shall give from the Magazine with 100 Saddles and 2 or 300 pr of Holsters that will be ready in time She will be able to run from a Superior force or fight an Equal one & when She Arrives in America you will have the means of bringing home a freight of 7 or 800 hhds of Tobacco at a triffiin Expence if She makes this Voyage Safely she will more than clear herself the Profit a french Mercht would make will be saved & if you are to give them as much Extrad freight as the insurance amts to it appears to me the Same thing as if you Risque the property yourself.

In considering the above circumstances and yr Orders I shall (if upon Examination the Ship answers the Character I have of her) make the purchase immediatly &proceed with all possible Dispatch — The next thing to consider is the way she is to be Dispatched Capt Hynson ask for only half the number of guns but twice the weight by which he thinks he can fight a greater force should there be occasion if you choose she should go with out a french Capt & we should not conclude to fit out a privateer we can have a number of American Sailors here; if you choose She should go as a frenchman (which would be best on this Coast at least tho' I imagine make but Little difference on the other) I will so manage the matter as to keep her destanation unknown & when She is ready if we had twice the Number of Spies that we have we should not be affected by them

In consequence of Mr [Thomas] Morris's Return I have relinquished all pretentions to the affair of prizes &c I have received Letters from Wicks & Nicholson who seem'd to be very much Satisfyed with the house I named to them it appears to me to be of consequence to have concerns with the first houses in the ports of France in preference to any others as in case of need we can have advances and it is always easy to have good connections as indifferent ones this is the only reason which induced me to name them which I hope will meet with your approbation

Capt Nicholson Seems very unhappy with his Little Vessell³ which he thinks will never answer your purpose — I am affraid of proposing any new way of disposing of your Funds as you have already so many but I think if you mean to give Nicholson another Ship I could build one here in about 3 months capable of carrying 14 guns to Sail equal to any thing the Hull of which would cost 20,000 Livers Lanched in the water & we may Suppose as much more for her mast yards Riggen &c — I have the honor to be