Before I take up this correspondence more particularly, I must detain you one moment longer to mention the facts, which preceded it. Before my acceptance of the office I now hold, the Chevalier de la Luzerne informed me, that the Court had given money to the United States, with a determination that it should be at the disposal of General Washington, but that upon my acceptance, he would authorise me to draw for it. It was agreed between us, that I should draw for five hundred thousand livres, and so much be deposited to answer the drafts, and by giving him notice in season a new deposit of five hundred thousand livres should be made, and so on from time to time. Shortly afterwards, I formed a plan to get money from the Havana, and explained it to the Chevalier. He approved of it, and in consequence, I drew a bill on Messrs Le Couteulx & Co. the 17th of July, for five hundred thousand livres, but the capture of the Trumbull frigate prevented the negotiation of that bill, which being then on board of her, intended for Havana, was sunk with my despatches; and the knowledge that Colonel Laurens was then on his way with specie, together with the expectation of that, which was to be sent by the way of Holland, prevented a repetition of the experiment upon Havana at that time. It was previously to the 2d of July, 1781, that the Chevalier agreed that I should negotiate bills for one million five hundred thousand livres, of which the five hundred thousand livres to have been negotiated at the Havana, was a part. You will see enclosed my letter of the 2d of July upon this subject, which was the day before M. de la Luzerne went to camp; and also M. de Marbois' answer to it. My reply of the 4th closes the matter at that time; and then it was understood on all hands in the manner I have just now mentioned, and which I have, you will perceive, insisted on through the whole of my correspondence, and which was equally insisted on in a variety of conversations.