I shall confine myself to the remark, that the placard of your High
Mightinesses, in prescribing to the captains of foreign ships of war
to show their letters of marque or commissions, authorise you
according to the general custom of Admiralties to treat as pirates
those, whose letters are found to be illegal for not being issued by a
sovereign power.

The character of Paul Jones, and all the circumstances of the affair,
cannot by their notoriety be unknown to your High Mightinesses. Europe
has her eyes fixed on your resolution. Your High Mightinesses know too
well the value of good faith, not to give an example of it on this
important occasion. The least deviation from a rule so sacred, in
weakening friendship among neighbors, produces often unfortunate
consequences.

The King has always made it his pride to cultivate the friendship of
your High Mightinesses. His Majesty persists steadfastly in the same
sentiments; but the English nation does not think itself bound, by any
of its proceedings, to have its citizens detained prisoners in a port
of the Republic by an outlaw, a subject of the same country, and who
enjoys the liberty of which they are deprived.

It is for all these reasons, and many others equally solid, which
cannot escape the great penetration and sagacity of your High
Mightinesses, that the undersigned hopes to receive a ready and
favorable answer to the above, conformable to the just expectation of
the King, his master, and of the British nation.

JOSEPH YORKE.

* * * * *

JOHN PAUL JONES TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL WEIBERT, IN THE SERVICE OF THE
UNITED STATES.

Their High Mightinesses, the States-General of Holland, have granted
permission to us to land on the Island of Texel, a number of wounded
British prisoners of war now in our hands, to guard them by our
American soldiers in the fort of that Island, with the draw bridges
hauled up or let down at our discretion, and to remove them again from
thence to our ships at our free will and pleasure, and dispose of them
afterwards as though they had not been landed. Therefore you are
hereby appointed Governor-General over the wounded, and the soldiers,
that are destined this day to conduct them there, until further
orders.

These wounded prisoners are to be supported and provided with good
surgeons and medicine, and with necessary atten