To John Jay from Peter Jay Munro, 7 December 1783
From Peter Jay Munro
Chaillot the 7th. Decr. 1783
Dear uncle
No change has happened in the Family since my Last1 except the return of Abegail. While she remained ^was Confined^ in the Common Prison together with numbers worse than herself she grew daily more hardened, but a disorder she is subject caused her removal to the infirmery It so happened that I went to see her the day after but was not admited. The coachman was There not finding any of the her lewd companions, and seeing no one but the ^nurse and^ apothecary’s man she had sufficient time for reflection, which she so well improved that the Day before yesterday I found extreemly penitent and desirous to return. my aunt complied with her request and I brought her home last night—2 When we told you in our last letters, that mr. Charles ascend[ed] 1500 toises3 we skope [spoke] within bounds, it appears by a letter he published since that he was 1524 toises from the earth. he went in ^35 minutes^ a League and an half in 3 by land, but he ^assures the public^ it was more than 3 in the air. he The ^next day^ after having emptied and folded the globe which had not recd. the least damage he return[ed] to Paris with those who had followed him; I am no letters from it is It is 14 Days since the date of your last— I am Dr. uncle your afft. nephew
P. Jay Munro
his Excellency John Jay esqr.
Dft, NNMus: Jay (EJ: 388). Munro’s numerous excisions of spelling errors and repetitions of words have not been noted.
2. Abigail’s expenses in jail amounted to 60 livres, which William Temple Franklin laid out for the Jays. SLJ: account of money paid Mr. Franklin, 19 Dec. 1783. AD, NNC (EJ: 13174).
3. The toise is an old french unit of length, representing the distance between the fingertips of a man with outstretched arms, equivalent to the English fathom. Its length varied over time, but it is considered equal at that time to 6 French pieds (feet) or 1.949 meters.