member, that under all the privations it obliged him
to submit to, during that period, he slept sounder, and awaked happier
than he can do now. Desperate of finding relief from a free course of
justice, I look forward to the abolition of all credit, as the only
other remedy which can take place. I have seen, therefore, with
pleasure, the exaggerations of our want of faith, with which the London
papers teem. It is indeed, a strong medicine for sensible minds, but it
is a medicine. It will prevent their crediting us abroad, in which case
we cannot be credited at home. I have been much concerned at the losses
produced by the fire of Richmond. I hope you have escaped them. It will
give me much pleasure to hear from you, as often as you can spare a
moment to write. Be assured that nobody entertains for you sentiments
of more perfect and sincere esteem than, dear Sir, your friend and
servant.

TO WILLIAM DRAYTON.

PARIS, July 30, 1787.

SIR,--Having observed that the consumption of rice in this country, and
particularly in this capital, was very great, I thought it my duty to
inform myself from what markets they draw their supplies, in what
proportion from ours, and whether it might not be practicable to
increase that proportion. This city being little concerned in foreign
commerce, it is difficult to obtain information on particular branches
of it in the detail. I addressed myself to the retailers of rice, and
from them received a mixture of truth and error, which I was unable to
sift apart in the first moment. Continuing, however, my inquiries, they
produced at length this result: that the dealers here were in the habit
of selling two qualities of rice, that of Carolina, with which they
were supplied chiefly from England, and that of Piedmont; that the
Carolina rice was long, slender, white and transparent, answers well
when prepared with milk, sugar, &c., but not so well when prepared _au
gras_; that that of Piedmont was shorter, thicker, and less white, but
that it presented its form better when dressed _au gras_, was better
tasted, and, therefore, preferred by good judges for those purposes;
that the consumption of rice, in this form, was much the most
considerable, but that the superior beauty of the Carolina rice,
seducing the eye of those purchasers who are attached to appearances,
the demand for it was upon the whole as great as for that of Piedmont.
They supposed this difference of quality to proceed from