eived orders to evacuate that
post; that on the 1st of July transports had arrived there from
Charleston to take them off; that she carried Governor Wright to
Charleston, where she arrived the 3d of July; that all was then quiet
there, but that General Carleton had determined to evacuate that place
also, and to keep possession of St Augustine. Thus it is generally
supposed here, that those two posts have been evacuated by the British
to reinforce New York and their Islands, and that New York is
besieged, as we learn further by the way of London, that Vaudreuille
had sailed with twenty ships of the line for our continent, supposed
with the design of covering the siege of that place. As to military
operations in Europe, Gibraltar now commands universal attention, and
it is believed that celebrated rock must soon change its masters, and
if so, that this will smooth the way to peace.

I have the honor to be, &c.

FRANCIS DANA.

_P. S._ I do not write to you in your cyphers, because, since your
last copy is missing, I think the reasons against doing it are
stronger than when I wrote my last.

* * * * *

TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

St Petersburg, October 14th, 1782.

Sir,

I should have done myself the honor of writing to you before this day,
but I have been so much indisposed ever since the date of my last,
that I have been unable to do it. Notwithstanding the difficulties I
have had upon my mind, and have expressed in my letters of September
29th, and October 1st, I have hazarded writing to you in your cypher,
to communicate the matter contained in my last. It may be proper to
acquaint you, that the reasons urged in support of that project, were
in writing and annexed to it, that I read the whole carefully, and
immediately upon my return home reduced it to writing from my memory,
more at large than I have given it to you, having in my communication
expressed myself in as few words as possible, preserving the substance
only, to save unnecessary trouble in cyphering and decyphering. This
is what is alluded to where it is said "this rivalry was maintained by
both friends and foes, though with very different views."

As you have the matter now before you, if I did not feel myself under
any restraint, it would be needless for me to trouble you with any
particular observatio