, should be American citizens, born and
residing in the United States. Yet if I understood them rightly, they
expect that the half of the company which resides here, should make the
greatest part, or perhaps the whole of the advances, while those on
our side the water should superintend the details. They had, at first,
thought of Baltimore as the centre of their American transactions. I
have pointed out to them the advantages of Alexandria for this purpose.
They have concluded to take information as to Baltimore, Philadelphia,
and New York, for a principal deposit, and having no correspondent at
Alexandria, have asked me to procure a state of the advantages of that
place, as also to get a recommendation of the best merchant there, to be
adopted as partner and head of the business there. Skill, punctuality,
and integrity are the requisites in such a character. They will decide
on their whole information, as to the place for their principal factory.
Being unwilling that Alexandria should lose its pretensions, I have
undertaken to procure them information as to that place. If they
undertake this trade at all, it will be on so great a scale as to decide
the current of the Indian-trade to the place they adopt. I have no
acquaintance at Alexandria or in its neighborhood; but believing you
would feel an interest in the matter, from the same motives which I do,
I venture to ask the favor of you to recommend to me a proper merchant
for their purpose, and to engage some well informed person to send me a
representation of the advantages of Alexandria, as the principal deposit
of the fur trade.

The author of the political part of the _Encyclopedie Methodique_
desired me to examine his article, _Etats Unis_. I did so. I found it
a tissue of errors; for in truth they know nothing about us here.
Particularly, however, the article Cincinnati was a mere philippic
against that institution: in which it appeared that there was an utter
ignorance of facts and motives. I gave him notes on it. He reformed
it, as he supposed, and sent it again to me to revise. In this reformed
state, Colonel Humphreys saw it.

I found it necessary to write that article for him. Before I gave it to
him, I showed it to the Marquis de la Fayette, who made a correction or
two. I then sent it to the author. He used the materials, mixing a great
deal of his own with them. In a work which is sure of going down to the
latest posterity, I thought it material to set f