hundred thousand florins, and the sale going on well. So that
the June interest, which had been in so critical a predicament, was
already secured. If the loan of a million on Mr. Adams' bonds of this
year, be ratified by Congress, the applications of the money on hand
may go on immediately, according to the statement I sent to Mr. Jay.
One article in this, I must beg you to press on the treasury board;
that is, an immediate order for the payment of the three years'
arrearages to the French officers. They were about holding a meeting to
take desperate measures on this subject, when I was called to Holland.
I desired them to be quiet till my return, and since my return, I have
pressed a further tranquillity till July, by which time, I have given
them reason to hope I may have an answer from the treasury board, to my
letters of March. Their ill humor can be contained no longer, and as I
know no reason why they may not be paid at that time, I shall have
nothing to urge in our defence after that.

* * * * * * * *

You remember the report, drawn by Governor Randolph, on the navigation
of the Mississippi. When I came to Europe, Mr. Thompson was so kind as
to have me a copy of it made out. I lent it to Dr. Franklin, and he
mislaid it, so that it could never be found. Could you make interest
with him to have me another copy made, and send it to me? By Mr.
Warville I send your pedometer. To the loop at the bottom of it, you
must sew a tape, and at the other end of the tape, a small hook, (such
as we use under the name of hooks and eyes) cut a little hole in the
bottom of your left watch pocket, pass the hook and tape through it,
and down between the breeches and drawers, and fix the hook on the edge
of your knee band, an inch from the knee buckle; then hook the
instrument itself by its swivel hook, on the upper edge of the watch
pocket. Your tape being well adjusted in length, your double steps will
be exactly counted by the instrument, the shortest hand pointing out
the thousands, the flat hand the hundreds, and the long hand the tens
and units. Never turn the hands backward; indeed, it is best not to set
them to any given place, but to note the number they stand at when you
begin to walk. The adjusting the tape to its exact length is a critical
business, and will cost you many trials. But once done, it is done for
ever. The best way is, to have a small buckle fixed on the middle of
the ta