[Extract]

. . . The King commands me to order you to see very precisely to the complete execution of the orders relating to Privateers which were con­tained in His Majesty's Letter dated 28th February. You will request Captains of Ships which you will detach on cruises to watch with the greatest attention so that no Privateer of any Nation whatever will take up Station off the Coasts of France, and to stop those that they should find established there after the first warning to withdraw. You will order them to make the said Privateers leave our Ports, Roads and Rivers, that is those which will have entered therein; to not allow that they stay any longer than is absolutely necessary to procure aid for Subsistence which they might have need of, which ought to be limited to a period of 24 hours; and to inform them that they should not return again, if they do not want to be seized and detained. You will direct the Captains likewise not to allow the said Privateers to bring prizes into our Ports, and to make them leave with their prizes. The King's intention is that if the Captains of His Ships should find in one of His Ports a Privateer to whom they have already given a warning to retire, they will seize her and Turn her over to the Officers of the Admiralty in order to be held in detention there until they have received His Majesty's orders.

You will order the Captains to punctually inspect foreign Vessels which they will fall in with in the Ports, and they will take off all the French Seamen that might be found thereon.

As soon as you have received this Letter you will detach a frigate from your Squadron to take up Station at the entrance to the River to Bordeaux where she can anchor if the Captain judges that he is within range to maintain order and to watch the movements of Privateers. You will give him the Instructions contained in this Letter regarding Privateers, Prizes and the Inspection of foreign Vessels to take off French Seamen and you will prescribe the very greatest Vigilance. He may leave that Station when you give him the order, and turn over those instructions which have been addressed to you on this Subject.

I see that I mentioned to M. [Louis Cavelier] de Cuverville Com­mander of l'Inconstante that the King's intention is that while waiting for the Transports to be ready to set sail; he watch the movements of Privateers and execute the King's orders in this regard. You will write this Commander by the frigate which you will detach to let him know that she is ordered to take his place on this Station.

I see from one of your Letters that you have been saluted with 13 Guns by the Privateer the Captain Mifflin [General Mifflin], to which you had returned 3. This Salute was polite and can not lead to any consequence: but you know that since the King does not recognize the Inde­pendence of the Americans, their flag may not be looked upon as belonging to a Nation and that a Salute must not be rendered to a Flag which is not recognized.

The King has seen the account which had been addressed to me by M. [Jean-Baptiste] de Breuil de Rays of the encounters he had at sea with the Privateers the Captain Mifflin and the Saxon, and His Britannic Majesty's brigantines the Hawke and the Union:² His Majesty approved the conduct of this Officer in every respect. . . .