impossible to foresee whether any new regulations
will be made to take place on the expiration of the contract of Mr.
Morris. I shall certainly press for something to be done by way of
antidote to the monopoly under which this article is placed in France.
The moment anything is decided which may be interesting to our
commerce, I shall take great care to communicate it to them through Mr.
Bondfield; though I do not expect anything interesting to take place
very soon. I am, with much regard, Sir, your most obedient humble
servant.

TO STEPHEN CATHALAN, JUNIOR.

PARIS, July 21, 1787.

SIR,--I received your favor of May the 9th just as I was stepping into
the barge on my departure from Cette; which prevented my answering it
from that place. On my arrival here, I thought I would avail myself of
the opportunity of paying your balance, to make a little acquaintance
with Sir John Lambert. One or two unsuccessful attempts to find him at
home, with the intermediate procrastinations well known to men of
business, prevented my seeing him till yesterday, and have led me on to
this moment, through a perpetual remorse of conscience for not writing
to you, and to the constant belief that it would be to-morrow and
to-morrow. At length, I have seen him, paid him the eighty-five livres
which you have been so kind as to advance for me, and am actually at my
writing-table, returning you thanks for this kindness, and to yourself
and the family for the thousand others I received at their hands, at
Marseilles. My journey, after leaving you, wanted nothing but the
company of Madame Cathalan and yourself, to render it perfectly
agreeable. I felt the want of it peculiarly on the Canal de Languedoc,
where, with society, the mode of travelling would have been charming. I
was much indebted to M. Minaudier for a good equipment from Agde, and
unceasing attentions to that place; for which I was indebted to your
recommendations as well as to his goodness.

I am honored with your father's letter of June the 30th; and, as he
does not read English, and I cannot write French, I must beg leave to
answer him through you. I thank him for his hints on the subject of
tobacco. I am now pressing for arrangements as to that article, to take
place on the expiration of Mr. Morris' contract, and the order of
Bernis. What form this business will take, or what will be the nature
of the arrangements, or whether there will be any, I am as yet unable
to say.