entysix sail of the line; and the Marquis de Vaudreuil at
Boston, where he has unfortunately lost the Magnificence, sunk in the
harbor. Congress have endeavored to compensate this loss by presenting
His Most Christian Majesty with the America, built at Portsmouth. She
will, I believe, prove a very fine ship; and with diligence, she may
be fitted in time to be of use this campaign.

We have nothing new among us to inform you of. The armies on both
sides have been inactive, and our attention is turned on what passes
in Europe. Here we are lost in the wide field of expectation and
conjecture without a clue to lead us. I must again press you to think
of appointing some agent here to receive your salary, which will be
paid upon the spot; and may be vested in bills to great advantage.
Two quarters' salary have been transmitted by me, but as I am
unauthorised in this business, I shall inform Mr Morris that he must
devise some other way to make these remittances, which I beg leave to
decline meddling with in future.

I have the honor to be, with great esteem, &c.

ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

* * * * *

TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.

St Ildefonso, September 29th, 1782.

Sir,

I had the honor to address you on the 8th instant, since which we have
advice of the disastrous issue of the enterprise with the floating
batteries against Gibraltar, but although we have had notice of this
misfortune some days past, I have delayed writing until I could
procure authentic information of the particular circumstances of this
event. The enclosed copies of letters and papers, written or sent me
by a person in the General's family, will, I hope, prove more
satisfactory than any which you will receive from other quarters. The
projector, M. d'Arcon, is generally blamed. Enclosed you have a plan
of the attack as it was made, and as it was intended to have been
made, accompanied by a Memorial, which M. d'Arcon sent hither to
exonerate himself from part of the blame. I saw a letter he wrote an
hour after the affair, in which he avows he had deservedly forfeited
the confidence reposed in him by two Sovereigns.

This news dejected exceedingly the King, the Court, and the nation.
Their chagrin from the disappointment is, in some measure,
proportionate to their confidence of success. It is said, however,
that the Kin