About the later End of Sept^r., the Packett called the Independance, Commanded by Young & mounting 12 Carriag Guns arrived, at Nantes, with a Prize she had taken on the Passage: which he sold to M. Gourlade at L'orient for £23000—The new mode Practiced in these Cases, is as follows. The ship appears, (no doubt to Prove to the Purchasers that there is one, as well as the Condition of the Cargo) & leaves the Port again within the 24 hours—She is followed by Coasting Lighters furnished with Passports, & Her Cargo is reshipped on board of them—After which (the marks being altered & other like precautions taken) they go into any port on the Coasts & Enter freely having proper Coast Clearances.—

It is very probable that the Jamaica Ships¹ lately claimed at Nantes, will be detained—ultimately—for the Benefit of the Captors. The process will be allowed to go on, but as slowly as possible, till the Proofs of the property & the port she Cleared from are Legally admitted; then the Farmers General will claim Her as a forfeiture incurred by the false Entry, & devolving to them in right of their Compact &c. This claim will no doubt be followed by an adjudication, the King cant interfere, & the Farmers General may give away their property to the american Commissioners, or any one else.

She mounts 24 Six pounders, & is well Manned. 

The ship,² said to have been detained & unloaded at Marseilles, at Lord Stormonts demand—was again Reloaded with the same Articles before mentioned—Her Name Changed, the Command given to Lundai, late Bougainvilles Lieutenant, & who had just been appointed Captain of the Port of Brest, & by order from Court, allowed to take on board 8000 fusils 25000^lb Sulpher, Saltpetre &c^a., for the french Islands—But sailed the 25 last month, bound directly to Portsmouth New Hampshire. On board Her, went Passengers The Baron Steuben, often mentioned; and M. Francy well known, as Brother to M. Morand, & Secretary to Beaumarchais.— 

of no use in the W. Indies. 
Bound to Portsm^o. NHamp: 

the Comm^rs. Agent. 

Governor to the Comm^rs. & an artfull Man I dare say—all this disinterestedness & Zeal is mere sham; for Gourlade His Partner &c. has just drawn on Mayne & Graham for £2500—& says as an apology for the liberty with out leave, that a sudden Case of great advantage was the Cause, & they were in the moment unprovided.—

On the 7 Inst^t. The Alfred Privateer, 30 Guns, Cap^t. Hinman, and the Polly Raleigh—32 Guns, Cap^t. Thompson, arrived at L'orient with two of the last Jamaica Fleet,³ Carrying 780 Hhds Sugar & 250 Puncheons of Rum—the Seamen are sent on board the Packett,⁴ Cap^t Young laying at Nantes—And the Ships & Cargoes (reserving 50 Puncheons of Rum, their Guns, the Cabin stores, unbent Sails &c) they sold to Mess^s. Berard, Montplaisir, &c^a. at L'orient for £9700 St^g.—The Ships lay under the Island of Grouaix, last Monday the 13. Mr. Gourlade, was to have had a share, but could not in Conscience agree to give so little; which occasioned the delay, & M. Chaumont, wrote a letter to the Purchasers to engage them, for the Honor & Interest of France, to make up the Price £13000 St^g. The Privateers had found Pretexts so specious that the Comm^r. of the Port, had allowed them to stay till they should be refitted, or till the Court should forbid it, & last monday the 13. Dispatches were sent to the Commm^rs. at L'orient by Franklin & Deane.

Nephew to D^r. Franklin, & M. Williams Downing Street. 

with 500 Hhds Sug^r., 

Another of the Jam^a. Fleet was brought into Nantes, by the Privateer lately fitted out there by M. Williams the Agent to the Comm^rs., instead, & with the Crew of the Surprize Cap^t Nicholson converted into a Packett & sailed the last month for America.⁵ The Prize was not sold the 11. Inst^t.—as the Adventurers in the Privateer (the Comm^rs., M. Montheiu, Chaumont, Williams &c) Hoped to have Interest enough to Procure passports & take the benifit of Purchasers in the Case before stated. 

M. Beaumarchais returned the 10 Inst. to Paris from Dunkirk, where he had been to Ship about 66 Brass Cannon of 32 24 18 & 12 Pounders—and about 60 fieldpieces. 

I believe they will be put on board one of the 4 dutch ships lately mentioned—if not Carryed Coastwise to the HippoPotame at Rochefort. M. Beaumarchais is set out, or going on a Coasting tour to Havre, Rochefort & Marseilles, to expedite Considerable supplies to Congress—He has become so cautious of late, as to Communicate only with D^r. Fr: who tells M. Deane that M. B. only drops generals to him— that in Regard to the Dunkirk business, He pressed him hard, but could only hear of about 66 of the Guns lately refused &c &c. and that the supplies would be ready soon, but specifick lists could not be given till they were gone & the Accounts Collected—That they have the less reason to seem anxious or insist on more accurate Communications, as the part managed by Beaumarchais, has failled least, & He has never hinted to them any terms or proposals of payment, for all he has done.

Cunningham has again sailed from Ferrol on a Cruize—after selling His Prizes—he says for half price—& refitting His ship the Revenge—He procured Papers from a Merch^t there (which were intended for another ship belonging to Spain) to Cover the Black Prince—a Prize—laden with Wine, Fruit & Oyl which he sent to Bayonne. 

1. 

M. Carmichael is going passenger in this Ship. 

Besides the Hippopotame—which is to carry 14000 fusils besides other warlike stores for Congress—There are the following getting ready— 

2 & 3.

4. for war. 

A ship of 60 Guns at Rochefort, and an Indiaman pierced for 60 Guns, at L'orient, belonging to M. Chaumont, Holker, Sabatti, &c. to be loaded with Merchandize—The Lyon a Frigate of 36 Guns belonging to the Commissioners & fitting out at Nantes by M. Williams in the Name of M. Pelletier de . . . . . . . . .

M. Chaumont is sending 10 Vessels loaded with Salt, besides several Vessels with Cloathing & other Merchandize—

M. Monthieu & Associates—6 or 8 very Valuable Cargoes. 

M. Buat of S^t. Maloes & associates—The Count de Vaux; The Viscomte Narbonne Pelet; &c are also sending four Cargoes.

M. Jauge of Bourdeaux & His Associates—10 Cargoes.

Mess. Basmarin of Bourdeaux several Cargoes . . . . . . .