but a long altercation now insue’d, relative to the payment--money, was out of the question, for if they had it, to pay, there was a law against bringing it away from the country--goods, also, were out of the question, as well as bills on England or America--finally, I agreed to take, government Bills of exchange, on Hamburg, payable 60 days after date, and was promised, by the Agent; that I should have my bills, in 12 or 14 days--I waited patiently a month, but no bills came; & finding that no confidence could be placed in their promises, & feeling doubtfull, as to obtaing any thing for my Cargo; I thought it advisable to send my vessell home, under charge of the mate--consequently, I ballased her, & sent her away; writing to my owners, that I was determ^{d.} to persevere, untill I obtained satisfaction. My mind being releived, from seing my vessell laying Idle, & at great expense; I came to the determination of going to head quarters, Paris--but many deficulties were to be surmounted, in order to attain this object--1^{st.} the road was dangerous to travail; the adherents of royalty, were reduced to mere scurmaging parties, that committed their depradations under cover of the night, in solitary places, upon travellers, & the peaceble inhabitants--and as all horses were taken into requisition by the government, except those that convey^{d.} the national dispatches; there was no other mode of travelling; and it was conterary to law, for them to take a passengers--but my mind was fixed upon going, as the only chance of ever accomplishing my business with the French government. I therefore called upon the Minister of Marine, & got an official copy, of my demands on the government, and had them recorded (a precautionary measure) as I had lea[r]ned, that loseing a mans papers, was one of their methods of procrastination, to keep far off a settlement. After this, I procured an interpreter, & waited upon _Jean Con. S^{t.} Andre_, a man, holding high offices under the Government, & reported to be, favourably disposed to Americans--to him I made known my situation--the treatment I had received, the praplexity I was in--& the necessity of going to Paris--& praying him, not only to grant me a pasport, but to grant a special permitt, to one of the Coureirs, to carry me there--after a long demur, with himself, & repeatedly feeling of his neck, to see how it would bear the knife; he returned a favourable reply--viz. that I must call upon him the next day, when he would make the necessary arrangments &c [Sidenote: On to Paris]