I Will thank you to excuse the paper I write on as it is the only paper of this Size I can find the Spaniards using altogether for their Writings the Quarto post & this Size only for covers & common purposes.

This is the third Letter I have written you this fortnight & the reason is to mention to you that from the account just recieved We have every reason to fear that the Vessel which I gave you the account of & which carried my original & second Dispatch to you With the statement of my arrival & reception here & of the number of our claims & their situation has been lost. I therefore take the earliest opportunity to send you a copy of the claims under their different heads, by which you will be enabled to judge of the extent & arduousness of the Business of this Mission. I have unremittingly attended to it & shall continue to do so & it is with pleasure I have seen some Vessels released since I have been here & I am hopeful a disposition to do more. I am moving with great caution—& preparing the best & most probable means of obtaining, if possible the Floridas. The whole of these papers will soon be forwarded to you—that is as soon as I can get a more safe & certain conveyance than the Post commonly is either to Bourdeaux or Cadiz or indeed any port in Spain—the roads being at this time so infested with robbers that I am afraid many of our Letters may have miscarried in that way. Indeed from the interior & remote situation of Madrid I fear this frequently happens. I have heard but once from my children since I left America & but twice or three times from you. I can send you nothing from hence about Amiens to which place all Europe now anxiously looks, as we have different reports every day & none of them true. I have purchased a Book for you which will give you the most recent account of the Mercantile regulations & Duties of Spain & mean to send it by the first good conveyance I can meet as it can not go by Post. I have also Written to all our Consuls for their accounts of the regulations in their different ports & hope to posess you fully of them. When we know what they will do at Amiens I will then endeavour to give you my Opinion of the State of Europe & it’s probabilities. Until then it is impossible even to conjecture for Bounopartes conduc⟨t⟩ in the affair of the Cisalpine makes it extremely difficult to penetrate his further Views. I still hope for the best from him, or at any rate that whatever may happen here, our ark will be suffered to float untouched. I shall be happy to hear from You & with my affectionate respects & best Wishes to the President for his health & honour I remain With the same to you my dear sir Yours Truly