Arrears of the fifth and sixth years supposed to be liquidated so as to afford 25 per cent of their nominal value, about 600 Arrears in _Bons_ for the year VII, valued at 50 per cent loss 400 Arrears of the year VIII, due in _Bons_, valued at 25 per cent loss 600 Arrears of the year IX, due in specie 600 Arrears of the year X, of which three months are nearly elapsed 200 ----- Total of the principal and interest of an original annuity of 2,400 livres, reduced (according to law) to 800 12,248 Or in sterling, _circa_ £500 ------ I had almost forgot that you have asked me more than once for an explanation of the exact value of a modern franc. The following you may depend on as correct. The _unité monétaire_ is a piece of silver of the weight of five _grammes_, containing a tenth of alloy and nine tenths of pure silver. It is called _Franc_, and is subdivided into _Décimes_, and _Centimes_: its value is to that of the old _livre tournois_ in the proportion of 81 to 80. _Value in livres tournois._ liv. sous. deniers. Franc 1 0 3 Décime 2 0.3 Centime 2.43 LETTER XXIX. _Paris, December 7, 1801_. At the grand monthly parade of the 15th of last Brumaire, I had seen the First Consul chiefly on horseback: on which account, I determined to avail myself of that of the 15th of the present month of Frimaire, in order to obtain a nearer view of his person. On these occasions, none but officers in complete uniform are admitted into the palace of the _Tuileries_, unless provided with tickets, which are distributed to a certain number at the discretion of the governor. General A----y sent me tickets by ten o'clock this morning, and about half after eleven, I repaired to the palace. On reaching the vestibule from the garden of the _Tuileries_, you ascend the grand stair-case to the left, which conducts you to the guard-room above it in the centre pavilion. Hence you enter the apartments of the Chief Consul.