10 August 1803, New York. Encloses his bond “with two good sureties,” as required by the consular act. Is prepared to leave for his post, “but that direfull epidemic, with which this City is again so unhappily afflicted, interferes” with his arrangements and will probably delay him for “six or eight weeks at least.” “As several of our public Vessels are about to sail for the Mediteranien, permit me to ask whether I am entiteld. to a passage free in any of them?”