On the 23d. Instant I came hither & took the earliest opportunity of waiting on his Excy. the Ct. de F Blanca who recieved me with much politeness. After the Usual Compliments had passed I presented him the Original and a Copy of my Letter of Credence from Congress which he received & after regarding the Signature of the Former, returned the Original & desired me to give the Copy to Mr. Del Campo He then asked me if I had any thing particular to communicate to him, adding that he should be very happy to be of use to me, and other general expressions of good will which it is unnecessary to repeat. I thanked his Excellency & mentioned the pleasure it would Afford me to be able to Inform Congress that Attention had been paid to the Several Offices your Excy. had presented him, interesting to the Citizens Of the United States— He replied that before Leaving Aranjues he would direct Mr. Del Campo to lay apart the different papers he had recieved from You on these Affairs and would repeat the orders he had Already given for their Settlement: He then told me that on two Days in the Week I would always find him at the Office at 11 Oclock In the forenoon & disposed to pay Attention to any thing I might have to communicate to him. I made the proper returns to these Assurances & was rising to take my Leave; The Ct. then told me in very obliging terms that he had allotted me two days in the week for business, that there was another day on which he would be always glad to see me Vizt Saturday & invited me to dine with him the following. I expressed my sense of the honor He did me & took my Leave without accepting or declining His Invitation, before I had consulted the French Embassador on the Subject, Who on my Communicating to him what I have had the honor to relate Above, was decidedly of opinion, that I ought by all means to accept the Ministers Invitation, and added that it would be even well for me to go from Time to Time to Court— I expressed my reluctance to accept at this period an Invitation so long delayed & observed that as Chargé d’Affaire, I could not present myself at the Palace, without being admitted to the other Priviledges of the Corps Diplomatic— The Embassador replied with Some warmth, that it would not only be impolite, but personally Impolitic to refuse an Invitation made without any distinction of Character, Observing that the appearance of a good understanding with Spain would be of Considerable Utility at this Crisis2 He then gave me a detail of the Overtures made by the Court of G. B & of the State in which the negociation was at Paris—of which I had been in part informed before, He continued to insist on the Impropriety of refusing to dine with the Minister, saying that It would look as if we sought pretexts to break ^entirely^ with Spain &c &c Finding that the Embassador was much in Earnest on the Subject, I consented to the Instances he made me, with the best grace I could telling him that I sacrificed personal feelings to his Idea of Public Utility.

In consequence of this I went to the Cts on Saturday last and was recieved by him very politely & with some marks of particular Attention which it is unnecessary to repeat— There was a large Company, near forty Persons, Several of the Foriegn Ministers & all the Secretaries expressed their pleasure at seeing me Among them, You will be surprized to hear that the Imperial Russian & Danish Representatives were of the Number— The Latter has asked me twice Since to dine with him— I declined the first but could not decently refuse the Second invitation— Mr Del Campo recd. me with great Cordiality & many professions of Personal Esteem— I repeated to him what I had mentioned to the Count & had his promise to look over the Memorials you had presented on private Affairs & to take order thereon— I told him that I should be happy to be enabled to inform Congress & yr. Excy of the Measures the Ct had or might take for the redress of the Parties in question & that Such proofs of the Counts Attention to the Interests of our Citizens would contribute to remove prejudices which might have arisen from the Delays in these Affairs, however unavoidable they may have been He renewed his Assurances & told me we should have frequent Occasions of talking on these and Other Matters, which might contribute to the future Harmony of the two Countries & in fact he has since behaved with great appearance of Frankness and good humour— I do not however expect, that any thing will be done in these Affairs, until the Ct. has been some time Settled at Sn. Ildefonso— Before I left Madrid & since I have been here, several of the Protested bills have been presented me for Payment The reason of this is Obvious. The Holders gain by the Exchange here, and would Lose at Paris: This Circumstance augments the Sum for which I shall be obliged to draw on Doctor Franklin when I return to Madrid— Great preparations are making for the seige of Gibraltar, and the Expectations of Success are sanguine. The Duke de Crillon is to command in chief, The Ct. de Laci is to be at the head of the Artillery, which by Contract with those who are to transport it should be rendered in the Camp the 19th of next month— Langro altho’ a Brigadier, is to have the Command of the Grenadiers, 8000 men, and Alvarez is not to serve in the Expedition. The Army of the Beseigers, it is said will amount to 29 Men Exclusive of Labourers &c&c To pay the Expence of this Expedition &c&c the Court has ordered an another emission of 15 million of paper, so that there will soon be 29 millions of these Dollars in Circulation— The Depretiation will of course be greater and Exchange on France higher. The Royal Cedula for the Establishment of the Bank will make its appearance early in next month—3 The Gremios are to be repaid the Sums lent ^by^ them to Government in the paper Abovementioned, to the amt of 60 millions of Reals— The Infant Dn. Gabriel has asked permission to go to the Seige of Gibraltar which it is thought will not be granted to him. Mr Cabarrus presses a settlement of his Accts. I have made the Objections that appeared In my Conversations with you necessary & when these are removed and the Acct fairly Stated will Transmit it for your approbation.4 I have received several Offers for your Mules, but the price is so much below your Expectations, that I shall wait for further orders I offered to pay Mr. Littlepage his Quarters advance Immediately He came with me to this place & lodges in your Apartments, which I am afraid will find no other Tenant, as the Court Leaves this the 8th of June— I beg you to present respectful ^my^ Compliements to Mrs Jay to whose health and pleasure, I hope your present voyage will contribute.5 I have the honor to be with much respect Your Excys Most Obedt. & Humble Sert.