ay of supplies, which, indeed, was all I
wished for, as I was on the safe side of the question, viz. on the
receiving part. I communicated to his excellency that clause of my
instructions for procuring arms, &c. of which he asked a copy. I then
informed him, that I considered the present as a most critical
juncture of American affairs, that the campaign would undoubtedly be
carried far into the winter, that supplies now shipped might arrive
very seasonably in the fall to enable the Colonies to hold out the
present campaign. He replied that no delay should be made by any
obstruction of any officer, or others of the customs or police. He
then told me that the Count Laureguais was, perhaps, a well meaning
man, but not sufficiently discreet for such purposes as this; that Mr
Lee, meaning Mr Arthur Lee of London, had confided, he feared, too
much in him, and wished me to caution him on the subject, and that if
I would write to him, he would enclose it in a letter of his, by a
courier that evening. I most readily embraced this safe way of
corresponding, and sent a letter I had before written, with an
addition on this subject, a copy of which is enclosed. I have thus
given you the heads of my negotiation to this time, July 20th, and
will not take up your time in making remarks on it, and the prospect
before me, which are obvious; but inform you of the plan I mean to
pursue, in the execution of my commission, and hint some methods, by
which I think I may be enabled to complete every part of it to your
satisfaction, and the relief of my country, which is all my wish, and
the extent of my most ambitious hopes. I go on the supposition of an
actual unconditional independency, without which little can be
effected publicly; with it, almost every thing we can wish for.

It is by no means probable that Europe will long remain in a state of
peace; the disputes between Portugal and Spain are on the point of
producing an open rupture; the former relies on England; the latter
will look to this kingdom, and has already applied to this Court on
the subject. Nothing but the division of Poland has taken the king of
Prussia's attention off from the injustice done him by Great Britain,
at the close of the last war. He has now completed his part of that
extraordinary work, and I am well informed, listens with pleasure to
the dispute between the United Colonies and Great Britain. He is
ambitious of becoming a maritime power, and is already in poss