[Extract]

Gentlemen: With regard to me, gentlemen, my sincere attachment to your cause and my respectful esteem for your persons has not suffered me to hesitate and to wait till vessels loaded by you should arrive in this country with the produce of your own in exchange for our merchandise, but the faith of the powers of your commissioner (a duplicate of which he has left in the hands of our ministry) have procured from our manufactories all what I have thought might be useful to you in your present situation, and I have begun to send supplies to you by the ship that carries this letter, with a brief account of what it contains for your use, as I expect to send you my invoices in good order, attested and signed by M. [Silas] Deane, by another ship, that will carry you a fresh supply of ammunition, and the invoices of which I shall send by a third ship, and so for all the others.

But, gentlemen, however warm may be the zeal that animates me, my friends will never be sufficient to double and treble my advances, if on your side, you do not send me on my ships and on your own remittances in country produce in proportion as you receive my supplies.

What I call my ships, gentlemen, is some French vessels hired for freight, according to a bargain agreed to between a mer.chant and myself, in presence of M. Deane, for want of your own vessels, which we had been long expecting, but did not arrive. Herc inclosed you have cwpy of the agreement.

Now, gentlemen, I beg you will send me my remittances either in excellent Virginia tobacco, or in indigo, rice, etc. My advances in this expedition must be soon followed by a second as considerable. It amounts to about one million tournois.