Volume I Part 50 (1/2)
Pa.s.sy, October 30th, 1778.
Sir,
We have been honored with your letter of the 26th of October, and we thank your Excellency for the prompt and generous manner in which you have given liberty to four of our countrymen, who were among the prisoners at Denant. Such examples of benevolence cannot fail to make a lasting impression on the American mind.
Since the receipt of your Excellency's letter, we have received another from the American prisoners at Brest, by which it appears, that there are ten of them, from four of whom only we had received letters when we wrote before, the other six having written to us, but their letters miscarried. We enclose a copy of this last letter, and have the honor to request a similar indulgence to all the ten.
By a letter we received last night from L'Orient, we have the pleasure to learn, that three vessels bound to the coast of Brazil have been taken by his Majesty's frigates, or by French cruisers, and sent into that port. It is very probable that the three masters of these vessels and every one of their sailors are Americans.
We are happy in this opportunity of communicating to your Excellency some intelligence, which we have been at some pains to collect, and have good reason to believe exactly true. The English last year carried on a very valuable whale fishery on the coasts of Brazil, off the River Plate in South America, in the lat.i.tude 35 south, from thence to 40, just on the edge of soundings, off and on, about the longitude 65 from London. They have this year about seventeen vessels in the fishery, which have all sailed in the months of September and October. All the officers and almost all the men belonging to those seventeen vessels are Americans, from Nantucket and Cape Cod in Ma.s.sachusetts, excepting two or three from Rhode Island, and perhaps one from Long Island. The names of the Captains are Aaron Sheffield of Newport; Goldsmith and Richard Holmes from Long Island; John Chadwick, Francis May, Reuben May, John Meader, Jonathan Meader, Elisha Clark, Benjamin Clark, William Ray, Paul Pease, Reuben Fitch, Zebedee Coffin, and another Coffin, all of Nantucket; John Lock, Cape Cod; Delano, Nantucket; Andrew Swain, Nantucket; William Ray, Nantucket. Four or five of these vessels go to Greenland; the fleet sails to Greenland the last of February or beginning of March.
There was published last year in the English newspapers, and the same imposture has been repeated this year, a letter from the Lords of the Admiralty to Dennis de Berdt, in Coleman street, informing him that a convoy should be appointed to the Brazil fleet. But this, we have certain information, was a forgery, calculated merely to deceive American privateers, and that no convoy was appointed or did go with that fleet, either last year or this.
For the captivity of a fishery so entirely defenceless, (for not one of the vessels has any arms) a single frigate or privateer of twentyfour or even twenty guns would be quite sufficient. The beginning of December would be the best time to proceed from hence, because they would then find the whale vessels nearly loaded. The cargoes of these vessels, consisting of bone and oil, will be very valuable, and at least 450 of the best kind of seamen would be taken out of the hands of the English, and might be gained into the American service to act against the enemy. Most of the officers and men wish well to their country, and would gladly be in its service if they could be delivered from that they are engaged in. But whenever the English men of war or privateers have taken an American vessel, they have given to the whalemen among their crews their choice, either to go on board a man of war and fight against their country, or to go into the whale fishery. So many have chosen the latter, as to make up most of the crews of seventeen vessels.
We thought it proper to communicate this intelligence to your Excellency, that if you found it compatible with his Majesty's service to order a frigate from hence, or from the West Indies, to take from the English at once so profitable a branch of commerce, and so valuable a nursery of seamen, you may have an opportunity of doing it; if not, no inconvenience will ensue.
We have the honor to be, &c.
B. FRANKLIN, JOHN ADAMS.
[Mr Lee did not sign, but objected to the acknowledgment of giving up the American subjects, captured in the enemy's vessels, as being a favor.]
COUNT DE VERGENNES TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
Translation.
Versailles, October 31st, 1778.
Gentlemen,
You request that a day be fixed for the interchange of declarations relative to the omission of the eleventh and twelfth articles of the treaty of commerce. If next Monday, November 2d, is convenient to you, I should be glad to have the honor to receive you, and I flatter myself you will do me the honor to dine with me on that day.
I have the honor to be, &c.
DE VERGENNES.
M. DUMAS TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
Translation.
Hague, November 4th, 1778.
Gentlemen,
The gentlemen from Amsterdam have returned with more strict instructions from their const.i.tuents. They will be followed, perhaps, by a third memorial, more forcible than the preceding. If the same evasions continue to be practised, Amsterdam will display other resources, which have not yet been communicated to me. The subject of the convoy will be discussed next week. Sir J. Yorke presented a memorial the day before yesterday, more moderate in its tone, but equally insidious in reality, on behalf of his Court. 1. It demands the appointment of Commissioners, with whom he may consult to settle the intent of the treaties relative to the articles, which it is desired to prohibit. 2. It declares that his Court is desirous, that the republic would not grant the convoys in question, as it cannot consent to allow the above mentioned articles to pa.s.s. He will find formidable adversaries from Amsterdam, who are firmly resolved on an absolute negative on these two points. A certain great personage, and the Grand Pentionary, are already prepossessed on the subject. The irritation against the English gains also in some of the n.o.bility.