een well pleased, not only that their
partial mediation between Holland and Great Britain had succeeded, but
that the United States as an independent nation had made their own
peace with Great Britain, and left her to contend with the house of
Bourbon alone. From this general sketch of their system, you may be
enabled to account for many appearances.

I have the honor to be, &c.

FRANCIS DANA.

* * * * *

TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

St Petersburg, November 1st, 1782.

Sir,

Conceiving that the most, if not the only profitable connexion, we can
form with this Empire, is of a commercial nature, I have, during my
residence here, turned much of my attention to learn in what manner we
can carry on a commerce with it, to our greatest benefit. In a former
letter I acquainted you, that rice and indigo were the principal of
our commodities adapted to this market; that it would be necessary,
therefore, for us, in order to maintain any considerable commerce with
this Empire, to do it by means of a circuitous navigation, and I
pointed out a course which I thought practicable. That, however, would
be absolutely annihilated, if the scheme, communicated in my letter of
October 1st, should be carried into execution.

It was not on that account alone that I was led to consider that
scheme in so serious a light. I found it a great obstacle in my way,
counteracting our immediate views, and aiming a blow at our interests,
in the only part where they were liable to, or might most easily be
injured and wounded. I was of course an obstacle in the way of that,
though at first without the least apprehension of its existence, and
it must necessarily have been supposed, that I should be so. How far
this may have influenced in certain matters, which I need not point
out for your information, I will not take upon me to say. I hope it
will not be thought I have already said too much upon it, or that I
have been unreasonably alarmed about it. There is not, I believe, the
least apprehension that I have come to the knowledge of it, or that I
have been in the way of obtaining the least information of it. While
things remain in this state, there will be no disagreeable
consequences from it. In my last, I have added some circumstances for
the explanation of this subject, as I thought it not advisable t