It is somewhat extraordinary, that all these should be considered by the Chevalier as advances made in the month of September. For although that account was rendered in September, yet four millions six hundred and ninetyfour thousand three hundred and ninetytwo livres are expressly mentioned as being to be furnished. I shall dwell no longer here, but I must repeat, notwithstanding the polite manner in which the assertion has been contradicted, that my operations have received a very severe, as well as material check, from stopping my drafts; not so much on account of the value of the three hundred thousand livres, as because, while they were negotiating, I should undoubtedly have received those advices from you, which would have enabled me to go on in the same line. I had brought the exchange up very nearly to par, and should soon have sold at seventeen pence this money (Pennsylvania money) for a livre, or eight shillings and sixpence for a crown, which is worth here at the extent but eight and four pence. This would, therefore, have been two per cent advance, with a saving of time, freight, and insurance; and, although a very large sum could not have been negotiated during the winter, perhaps not more than one million five hundred thousand livres, yet that would have enabled me to go on making the preparatives for an early and vigorous campaign, and kept everything in train, till some money could have been either shipped from Europe, or so negotiated as to be sent hither from Havana. I will take no notice of what is said in the letter now before us, as to the error of six thousand livres, because you must at once perceive how little it was an object of conversation, and how easy to be remedied by any clerk, without waiting either orders or instructions from the Court; and because you must also perceive the material omission of four million livres, which cannot be overlooked, let the calculations be combined as they may. I have not, however, the less concern about it, because so rigid an adherence to so palpable an error leads me to fear a design, which the generous conduct of the King will not permit me to suspect.