1731[March 21. Saturday 1778.] (Adams Papers)
March 21. Saturday 1778. Five Weeks had elapsed Yesterday, since my Embarkation. We went East South East.
1732[March 27. Fryday.] (Adams Papers)
March 27. Fryday. On Wednesday Evening Mr. Barrons died, and Yesterday was committed to the Deep, from the Quarter Deck. He was laid in a Chest made for the purpose by the Carpenter; about a Dozen twelve pound Shot were put in with him and then nailed up. The Fragment of the Gun which destroyed him, was lashed on the Chest, and the whole launched overboard, through one of the Ports, in...
1733[March 28. Saturday. 1778.] (Adams Papers)
March 28. Saturday. 1778. Last night and this morning We were in the thoroughfare of all the Ships from Bourdeaux. A great number of them were always in Sight. By Observation to day our Latitude was forty six degrees three minutes north, about seven minutes South of the middle of the Isle of Rea. We were therefore about twenty leagues from the Tower of Cordovan. We had no Wind, but a very...
1734[March 29. Sunday. 1778.] (Adams Papers)
March 29. Sunday. 1778. Becalmed all the last night. This morning a vast number of Sails were in Sight. Saint Martins and Oleron were visible, at least the Towers and Windmills, but the Land was very low and level. A Pilot boat, with two Sails and four Men, came on board of Us, and the Pilot instantly undertook to carry Us to Bourdeaux. He said the Ship might go quite up to the City, if she...
1735[March 30. Monday. 1778.] (Adams Papers)
March 30. Monday. 1778. This Morning the Officer came down and told the Captain that a lofty Ship was in Sight and had fired two heavy Guns. All hands were called up: but the lofty Ship appeared to be an heavy loaded Snow. The Weather was Cloudy, but there was no Wind. All very still excepting a small Suel. The Tower of Cordovan or as our Sailors called it The Bourdeaux lighthouse, was in...
1736[March 31. Tuesday. 1778.] (Adams Papers)
March 31. Tuesday. 1778. Lying in the River, near Pouliac; a twenty four Gun Ship close by Us, under French Colours bound to Dominique. A dark misty morning. I was anxious to enquire, who was Agent for the United States of America at Bourdeaux, at Blaye &c., who were the principal Merchants on this River, concerned in the American Trade? What Vessells French or American had sailed, or were...
1737[March 31. Tuesday. 1778.] (Adams Papers)
March 31. Tuesday. 1778. Captain Palmes was sent to Blaye, in the Pinnace, to the Officer at the Castle, in order to produce our Commission, and procure an Entry and Pass to Bourdeaux. Palmes returned full of the Compliments of the Officer to the Captain and to me. I shall not repeat the Compliments to me. But the earnest request to Captain Tucker was that he would salute the Fort with...
1738[April 1. Wednesday. 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 1. Wednesday. 1778. This Morning Mr. J. C. Champage, Merchant and Broker of the Marine at Blaye, came on board to make a Visit and pay his Compliments. I learned from him that of the first Grouths of Wine, in the Province of Guienne, there are four Sorts of Grapes, bearing the names of Chateau Margeaux, Hautbrion, La Fritte and Latour. This Morning I took Leave of the Frigate Boston, and...
1739[April 2 Thursday.] (Adams Papers)
April 2 Thursday. Walked round the Town to see the Parliament which was sitting, where We heard but understood not the Counsel, then to see the Council and chamber of Commerce. Then We went round to the Ship Yards, made many Visits, dined at the Hotel D’Angleterre, visited the Custom house, the Post Office, the Chatteau Trompette a famous Fortification of Vaubans and its Commandant. Then...
1740[April 3. Fryday. 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 3. Fryday. 1778. We Visited the Intendant, dined at Mr. Bondfields and supped at Mr. Le Texiers, a Duch Merchant from Amsterdam, long settled in Trade at Bourdeaux. He was an inquisitive sensible Man with some considerable Information. He professed a regard for America, but seemed to be perplexed with many doubts and difficulties. He could not see how it was possible We could contend...
1741[April 4. Saturday. 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 4. Saturday. 1778. About ten O Clock We commenced our Journey to Paris and went about fifty miles. Mr. Vernon chose to remain at Bourdeaux.
1742[April 5th. Sunday 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 5th. Sunday 1778. Proceeded on our Journey more than an hundred Miles.
1743[April 6. Monday 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 6. Monday 1778. Arrived at Poictiers, the City so famous for the Battle which was fought here. It is a beautiful Situation, and the Cultivation of the plains about it, appeared to me exquisite. The Houses were old and poor and the Streets very narrow. In the afternoon passed through Chattellerault, another City nearly as large as Poictiers, and as old and the Streets as narrow. When We...
1744[April 7. Tuesday 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 7. Tuesday 1778. We travelled from Les Ormes, the splendid Seat of the Marquis D’Argenson, to Mer. We passed through Tours, Amboise and several small Villages. Tours was the most elegant Place We had yet seen. It stands on the River Loire which passes through Na n tes to the Sea. We rode upon a Causey made in the River Loire, for many miles. The Meadows and River Banks were very beautifull.
1745[April 8th. Wednesday 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 8th. Wednesday 1778. We rode through Orleans, and arrived at Paris about nine O Clock. For thirty miles from Paris the Road was paved and the Scaenes were delightfull. On our Arrival at a certain Barrier We were stopped and searched and paid the Duties for about twenty five Bottles, of Wine which were left, of the generous present of Mr. Delap at Bourdeaux. We passed the Bridge over the...
1746[April 9. Thursday. 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 9. Thursday. 1778. Though the City was very silent and still in the latter part of the night, the Bells, Carriages and Cries in the Street, were noisy enough in the morning. Went in a Coach to Passy with Dr. Noel and my Son. We visited Dr. Franklin with whom I had served the best part of two Years in Congress in great Harmony and Civility, and there had grown up between Us that kind of...
1747[April 10. Fryday. 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 10. Fryday. 1778. The first moment Dr. Franklin and I happened to be alone, he began to complain to me of the Coolness as he very coolly called it, between the American Ministers. He said there had been disputes between Mr. Deane and Mr. Lee. That Mr. Lee was a Man of an anxious uneasy temper which made it disagreable to do business with him: that he seemed to be one of those Men of whom...
1748[April 11. Saturday 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 11. Saturday 1778. Went to Versailles with Dr. Franklin and Mr. Lee, visited the Secretary of State for foreign Affairs, the Count de Vergennes and was politely received. He hoped I should stay long enough in France, to acquire the French Language perfectly.... Assured me that every Thing should be done to make France agreable to me. Hoped the Treaty would be agreable, and the Alliance...
1749[April 12. Sunday.] (Adams Papers)
April 12. Sunday. In the Course of the last Week, particularly on fryday, I was visited by a Number of American Gentlemen. Sir James Jay of New York, Brother of the then Chief Justice, who has since been President of Congress, Governor of the State, Ambassador abroad and Chief Justice of the United States, but is now in 1806 like so many others of our first and best Men in the Post of honor a...
1750[April 12. Sunday] (Adams Papers)
April 12. Sunday On this day I had the honor to dine with the Prince de Tingry Duke de Beaumont, one of the four Captains of the Kings Guards at Versailles. He was of the illustrious House of Montmorency and with a large Company of Dukes and Dutchesses, in all the Pomp and Splendor of France. By this time, I began to catch the Sense, now and then of the Conversation in Society, but very...
1751[Monday April 13. 1778] (Adams Papers)
Monday April 13. 1778 This morning the Dutchess Dayen and her Daughter the Marchioness de La Fayette came to Passy to visit me, and enquire after the Marquis. This Morning Dr. Franklin, Mr. Lee and myself met in my Chamber and signed and sent the following Letters which I had written and had copied for Signature, in Answer to Letters received. The Papers you mention are in the disposition of...
1752[April 14. Tuesday 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 14. Tuesday 1778. I returned the Visits which had been made me by the American Gentlemen. This I found was an indispensable Punctilio, with my Countrymen in France. Great Offence had been taken by some of them, because Dr. Franklin had not very exactly performed this important Ettiquette, especially by those of them who had come over to Paris from England.
1753[April 15. Wednesday. 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 15. Wednesday. 1778. Dined with Madam Helvetius. One Gentleman and one Lady, besides Dr. Franklin, his Grandson and myself, made the Company. An elegant Dinner. This was a Lady of established Reputation also: The Widow of the famous Helvetius, who, as Count Sarsefield once said to me, if he had made a few millions of Livres the more as one of the Farmers General, and written a few Books...
1754[April 16. Thursday 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 16. Thursday 1778. From my first Arrival in France I had employed every moment of my time, when Business and Company would permit, in the Study of the French Language. I had not engaged any Master and determined to engage none. I thought he would break in upon my hours in the necessary division of my time, between Business, and Study and Visits, and might often embarrass me. I had other...
1755[April 17. Fryday.] (Adams Papers)
April 17. Fryday. We dined home with Company. Mr. Platt and his Lady, Mr. Amiel and his Lady, Mr. Austin, Mr. Alexander &c. There were two Alexanders, one a Batcheller, the other with a Family of several Daughters, one of whom Mr. Jonathan Williams afterwards married. They lived in a House not far from Us, were from Scotland, and had some connection with Mr. Franklin, which I never understood...
1756[April 18. Saturday. 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 18. Saturday. 1778. This morning, the Father of General Conway, a venerable Personage from Ireland originally as I presume, came to visit me and enquire concerning his Son and American Affairs in General. Dined at Mr. Bouffets, who spoke a little English. The Company consisted of Mr. Bouffets Brother, Mr. Veillard, Mr. Le Fevre, The Abbe des Prades, Mr. Borry and others. On our return...
1757[April 19. 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 19. 1778. Dined at home with Mr. Grand, our Banker, his Lady, his Niece and Ward Mademoiselle L’Abhard, his Sons, Mr. Austin, Mr. Chaumont and a great deal of other Company. Mr. Ferdinand Grand was a Protestant from Switzerland, who had a House in Paris and a small Country house near Us in Passi. Himself, his Lady, Niece and Sons composed as decent, modest and regular a Family as I ever...
1758[April 20. Monday 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 20. Monday 1778. My Son had been with me since Saturday. This was delicious repast for me: but I was somewhat mortified to find that this Child among the Pupills at School the Pension and my American Servant among the Domesticks of the Hotel, learned more french in a day than I could learn in a Week with all my Books. Dined with the Dutchess D’Anville, at the Hotel de Rochefaucault, with...
1759[April 21. Tuesday. 1778.] (Adams Papers)
April 21. Tuesday. 1778. Dined at Mr. Chaumonts, with the largest collection of great Company, that I had yet seen. The Marquis D’Argenson, The Count de Noailles, the Marshall de Mailbois, the B r other of Count de Vergennes, Mr. and Mrs. Foucault, the Son in Law and Daughter of Mr. Chaumont, who were said to have a fortune of four or five thousand Pounds Sterling a Year in St. Domingo, Mr....
1760[April 22. Wednesday 1778] (Adams Papers)
April 22. Wednesday 1778 Dined at home and spent the day on Business with Mr. Lee.