at Versailles 27th September 1777.
[Extract]
No 47.
. . . Lord Weymouth has given you a valuable admission, M., by assuring you that merchant ships furnished with Letters of Marque, have the other option only to defend themselves and to afford themselves security against attacks by American Privateers. Unfortunately this admission is belied by the facts, that several of our vessels have been taken by these particular privateers, and they come here boldly to annoy the American trade in our rivers. But we are going to put things aright, and hope to bring these privateers to the necessity, at least in our waters, of adhering strictly to the terms of their letters.
. . . Lord Weymouth was in error, M., to reproach you that the American ships the Lexington and the Dolphin are still in our ports; in fact these two ships have set sail for America; you can tell this to the English minister if he speaks to you about this again.
. . . I see, M., that you speak of up to 38 as the number of American Vessels taken in the lower part of the Bordeaux River from the 22nd to the 30th of August; I presume that it is a mistake by the copyist, for I find only 18 vessels indicated in the paper which was enclosed in my letter No. 45 of the 6th of this month . . .
