1778. Dec. 23. [=Jones=, John Paul.] _Capt., U. S. navy._ L’Orient, [France.] Letter to “The Revd. Father John” [Mehegan], Brest. Acknowledges receipt of letter of Dec. 19th by [ ] Le Lay; is not “occupied either by Love or War”; to write would have given him some “token of existence merely not of Life”; a few days will “remove my doubts or realize my fears”; will write him the “true account”; has given Capt. [Thomas] Bell a letter to him respecting the delivery of his [Jones’s] porter; has sent to the American Commissioners the memorial of [British] prisoners; will do all in his power to effect an early exchange; [Lieut. Peter] Amiel is well and returns his compliments; “Present my compliments to the Bishop, and the _Calfateur_”; congratulates him on the safe delivery of the Queen [of France]; “She is a _Sweet Girl_ and deserves to be Happy”; requests that inventories of prize ships at Brest be sent to John Ross, Nantes, and [Joseph] Whitall, Bordeaux, in care of [John] Bonfield [Bondfield]. Autograph draft. 1779. Mar. 9. [=Jones=, John Paul.] _Capt., U. S. S. “Bon Homme Richard.”_ [L’Orient, France.] Letter to Capt. John Plaince, Cork, [Ireland]. Has been impossible to forward the within bill until now; “It is the last of the set drawn by Mr. [ ] Newberry”; those drawn by [Louis Daniel] Charrier are lost; letter [of Mar. 9, 1778] will explain everything, both as to “present and future Remittances from the same hand”; this letter “contained no Sentiment whatsoever that did not * * * flow directly from the Heart of the Author”; Miss Plaince’s answer to letter of June 1st was received open; “interruption of that correspondence has been owing to no change of Sentiment * * * and the parties are now and will continue real Friends.” Autograph draft. 1779. Apr. 11. [=Jones=, John Paul.] _Capt., U. S. S. “Bon Homme Richard.”_ L’Orient, [France.] Orders [to Lieut. Peter Amiel, Brest]. Is to proceed to Paimboeuf to join [Matthew] Mease with Americans who have enlisted to serve under Jones; if wind is favorable is to bring them to L’Orient in vessel provided by [Jonathan] Williams; otherwise to come by land; hopes that others will join them when they know that Jones is about to sail for America; is then to proceed to Angoulême to the cannon foundry of [Louis] Sezarac L’ainé et fils; is to send proportions of 8 and 18 pounders to [James] Moylan; instructions governing his stay at Angoulême. Secretary’s draft.