"Permit me to observe to your Excellency, that the long and constant expectation of M. Gardoqui's arrival in America, with full powers on these subjects, naturally induced Congress to postpone coming to any resolution on them, until they should have the pleasure of seeing him. They were well apprised of my ignorance respecting such matters, and, therefore, could not with any propriety refer to my discretion the entering into engagements on subjects, with which I was wholly unacquainted. I am authorised to assure your Excellency of the readiness of Congress to make every return in their power to the kindness of his Majesty, and there is reason to hope, that by the end of the next campaign, their abilities may be more proportionate to their wishes than they have hitherto been. "Your Excellency will also be pleased to recollect, that the propositions of Congress respecting the Mississippi evince a strong desire to oblige his Majesty, and that reason has been given me to hope, that their compliance in that instance would be followed by new proofs of his Majesty's good disposition towards us. "I must candidly confess to your Excellency, that I now find myself entirely without resources. "The Ambassador of France can afford me no assistance, and my only remaining hope arises from that reliance on his Majesty's friendship and magnanimity, which your Excellency has so often encouraged me to entertain and confide in. "I have the honor to be, &c. &c. JOHN JAY." This letter, if I may use the expression, might have been higher mounted, and the strange conduct of this Court would have justified my writing in a different style, but I feared that offence might have been taken, though, perhaps, for no other purpose than to cover a refusal to aid us with a plausible pretext. Although I had little confidence in M. Del Campo's late professions of friendship, yet, as the present occasion afforded an opportunity of trying their sincerity, and as men ill-disposed towards us are sometimes pushed into acts of friendship, merely by an opinion of their being thought friendly, I enclosed the above letter in the following note to him. "Madrid, March 2d, 1782. "Mr Jay presents his compliments to M. Del Campo, and takes the liberty of enclosing a letter to his Excellency, the Count de Florida Blanca, which he requests the favor of him to deliver. "M. Del Campo may not, perhaps, in future have an opportunity of rendering a more welcome and interesting proof of his friendship for America than at present; and Mr Jay will esteem his country and himself greatly obliged by M. Del Campo's friendly attention and interposition on this occasion."