The time, that I arrived in France, was during the french Revolution, and in the _bloody_ reign of Robertspeire--all was arnachy & confusion--the galliotine, in continual opperation, & their streets & publick squars, drenched with human blood--I minuted down, 1000 persons, that I saw beheaded, by that _infernal_ machine; and probably saw, as many more, that I did not note down, men, women, preists & laymen, of all ages--and finally, before I left the country; I saw Robertspeirs head taken off, by the same Machine--But, to return to my induvidual, and embarised affairs--all my papers, relative to my ship & voyage, had been taken from me, on board the Frigate, at sea; I concluded they were put in possession of the prise Master, who brought me in, but he, was not to be found; neither could I find any clue to my papers, and without them, I could not prove, any demand for redress upon the government, for their violation of our neutrality--it was true, my vessel was there; but her cargo, Flour & Rice, was taken out, & was daily made into bread, soups, &c &c, for the half starved, populace--and without papers, I could not, even substanciate my claim to an empty ship--they meerly condecended, to send me to a Hotell, to board; & those of my ships crew, that were sent in with me, were also, provided for. In this very unpleasant perdicerment I remained about six weeks--I had, however, in that time, written to the american charge des affairs at Paris, & received an answer, but it contained nothing definite, he regreted my situation, & that of my countrymen generally, in France, & that it was owing to the disorganized state of affairs in the country; and that, I must exercise patiance, & the government w^{d.} do what was right in time. In about six weeks, as before observed, I was called upon, at my lodgings, by an officer, of the tribunal of commerce, bringing, a copy of the judgment, of said tribunal, upon my vessel and cargo, & a linguister to explain it to me. Thus, had they tried me, & passed sentance without my hearing, or even knowing that I was on trial--but, in that way, all business was managed in France at that time. The decision of the tribunal, was, however, so favourable, that it gave a spring to my feelings, & a sensation that gave new life. [Sidenote: A Promise to Pay] They declared, my vessell & cargo, to be new-trial property; & that, as the cargo was at _my_ disposition, I should be paid for it, by the government, at the prices that might be fixed upon, by myself & the agent of the government, and an adequate endemnification, for my capture, detention, expenditures &c &c I was then waited upon, to the agent of marine, to sell my cargo; when it is presumed, there was not a pound, of the flour, or rice in existance--and after battleing, in words, three days in succession, we fixed the prices, as follows, viz--Flour $16.50, & Rice $5.50--this, was a good begining, being over 200 p^{r}cent on the invoice.