“The Commissioners are sending a packet to America & by this conveyance Capt’n Folger has been wrote to, to take the charge of it if not otherwise engaged, but as it is of importance that this packet goes by safe hands, ... if he cannot go, ... I must depend on your executing the commission.” The story of the packet’s arrival at the little lodging-house in Havre where Folger and Hynson lived together is thus succinctly told by Lieut. Col. Smith: “Folger being ready and willing to sail away with them immediately, Hynson took an opportunity of sending Folger out upon some business in the Docks, while he, slipping off the string which was intended to secure the end of the packett, gott possession of the despatches, ... and then, making up paper equal in length and thickness to what he had taken out, he dextrously filled up the vacancy, shutt up the end of the bundle, passed back again the same string; and upon Folger’s returning with a Mr. Moyland, he had the bundle well cover’d, put in a bag, seal’d and deliver’d it to Folger in presence of Moyland, never to be given again out of Folger’s hands (unless to be thrown overboard in case of meeting with one of our ships, or into the hands of those they are directed for).” “Leaving behind an excuse for his absence, skilfully prepared to hoodwink Deane, Hynson then hurried over to London, carrying the precious papers with him. Official England delighted in the prettiness of the trick.” “Dear Eden,” [wrote the Earl of Suffolk]. “I am tickled with uncommon pleasure ... at the neat manœuvre by which Hynson has ... proved himself an honest Rascal. He well deserves his reward. I desire I may communicate (the despatches) myself to Lord Mansfield.” And Eden, in joy too great for formal phrases, informs the King’s self that Hynson “is an honest Rascal, and no fool.” So it happened that poor, gulled Folger eventually delivered to Congress, with all due ceremony, a package of blank paper, and was cast into prison for his pains. Duplicate despatches sent out by the Commission soon after Folger’s departure were lost at sea, and in consequence of the two calamities no official intelligence reached Congress from France between May, 1777, and May 2, 1778, the day of the arrival of the French treaty. As to the effect of this circumstance, Deane is somewhat explicit. Mentioning Hynson’s exploit as “the only instance of our having our despatches intercepted,” he continues: “At the time of making out the despatches our prospects both in France and in America were extremely discouraging. The Court of France appeared to view our cause as absolutely desperate, and even the appearance of what little countenance they had before shown us they gave the most unequivocal proofs of their resolution to disavow and leave us to our fate.... The Commissioners were at that time refused any access to the Minister, even in the most secret manner.