fail to exert my small
abilities to the utmost, and to improve every favorable opportunity
to promote the end of my mission. I should be happy if I could give
them any reasonable assurances, that my success was at hand.

I am, with much respect and esteem, &c.

FRANCIS DANA.

* * * * *

TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

St Petersburg, August 30th, 1782.

Sir,

I cannot suffer the post of this day to depart without acknowledging
the receipt of the quadruplicate of the 2d of last March, and another
of the 22d of May. They were received last evening. Neither the
original of the first, nor either of the other copies has reached me,
so that I have been a long time without any intelligence about affairs
in our country from you. The reason you assigned for this surprised
me. I thought it had been next to impossible, that my letters written
from hence, in August, September and October last, should not have
reached you long before that time. The only channel through which you
can write me with the least security, is Holland. If your letters are
sent to the care of Mr Adams, they will come on under every possible
caution; but no letter should be sent addressed immediately to me. In
such a case, there is no doubt but they would all be opened at the
office here. I send all my own letters under cover to friends in
Holland, which, though it doubles the postage, is a caution which
ought not to be dispensed with.

Your letter has eased me of much anxiety, particularly that paragraph
of it, which begins with the word "_you_" and ends with
"_acknowledged_," as it has cleared up the point of most importance,
and upon which I wanted more explicit directions than are contained
in my instructions. Though this letter has been so long on its way,
yet it has arrived in good season to answer every purpose of it. I
have hitherto been governed by sentiments exactly conformable to those
you have expressed in the clause which begins with "_all_" and ends
with "_insecure_." But my anxiety arose from an apprehension, that the
expectations of Congress might possibly have been different, for want
of some local information, which I have never ventured to communicate.

I have reason to believe, that at this time, the illustrious Sovereign
of this empire, and her principal Ministers are fully convinced, tha