g is determined to continue the siege, and, I believe,
that this will be the case. At present, an expedition in force to the
West Indies is in agitation. I am informed from a very good quarter,
that the command is offered to the Count d'Estaing. The party which
opposed him at Versailles, at the head of which is the Duchess de
Polignac, the Queen's favorite, the present Minister of Marine and the
former one, have made advances to him, and seem convinced that he
alone can repair the disasters of the present campaign. I hear that he
is unwilling to accept the command at this critical conjuncture, but
as he is the only French Admiral, who unites the suffrage of this
Court and nation in his favor, it is to be hoped he will comply with
the general wish of France and Spain. This affair is yet a secret.

From all accounts I have of the Spanish marine, I fear that Gibraltar
will be relieved. The expense of this siege has been enormous. I have
been assured, that during the present campaign it has cost thirtytwo
millions of piastres of fifteen reals each. This information comes
from one of the first clerks of the treasury. The great demand for
specie occasioned thereby has depreciated the paper money; it
fluctuates between twelve and sixteen per cent. To prevent its further
depreciation, the Court is endeavoring to procure gold from Portugal,
and negotiates, as I mentioned in former letters, a loan of three
millions of florins in Holland, to be augmented in case the
subscriptions fill readily. I am assured from thence, they do not, and
I am told here by a man in the secret, that the three millions will be
delivered in Spain in the month of December. Messrs Hope, the
negotiators of it, subscribe seven hundred and fifty thousand
florins.

As I have not had the honor to hear from Messrs Franklin and Jay
anything respecting the negotiations at Paris for peace, I can speak
only from indirect advice and my own conjectures. I have heard that
difficulties have been started respecting the powers of the British
Plenipotentiary to treat with our Commissioners. If this is true, it
will require some time to remove them. On the whole, it may be
supposed, that the negotiations will be spun out until the meeting of
Parliament, until the event of the expedition to relieve Gibraltar is
known; in fine, until the account of Lord Pigot's motions shall have
reached Europe, which may appear to give a favorable turn to the
British affairs in the West I