I now presume on the liberty of acquainting you of my arrival in this City and sincerely Lament am disappointed of the happiness of seeing your family here, with which expectation I much flatterd myself.— It will afford me the greatest pleasure to hear that you enjoy better health than when in Holland, and that your Lady & family are also in perfect health, which blessing I sincerely wish may be long Continued.—

The present situation of Trade between America & this Country (especially our Northern), is in such a predicament as induces me to request of your Excellency to give me some information respecting the Commercial Treaty, whether any thing is like to take place soon, upon what footing, & whether any indulgencies are to be granted us, on our Exportations. If something in favour of us is not soon done, I fear, that Valuable branch the Whale fishery will be entirely lost, for I heard a Number of those who carry it on, from Dartmouth, Nantucket, & along the Cape, declare they would Settle at Port Roseway, or some other port under the British Govermt where they could export the Oil themselves exempt from the heavy duty, and I fear ’ere this, many of ’em have taken that Step.— I further learn since my arrival here, that a Company from New York has already gone to Port Roseway to establish themselves for that purpose, This being the Case I fear the British Administration will procrastinate a treaty of Commerce with us as long as possible, in full Expectation of drawing our people to settle amongst their new Settlers to the Eastward of Boston.— I therefore most heartily wish something may soon be done.— There are many other good reasons I could offer at this time to urge the necessity of an immediate 478 Commercial treaty being come into, but doubt not they are much better known to your Excellency.— Am with all due esteem and Respect, Your Excellency’s most Obedient & / most Hb. Servant

The Capture of one or two of our Vessells by the Barbary Rovers, obliges Us to think Seriously of treating with the Port, Morocco, Algiers Tunis Tripoli, and the rest. But We wish to be informed as nearly as We can, how much the Expences of every Kind will amount to. let me beg the Favour of you then, to apply to Mr Bisdom and Mr Vanderhope and inquire of those Gentlemen, what Presents they gave last Winter to the Ambassador from Morocco, and what they have commonly given, And what Sums the Republic gives annually to Algiers, Morocco Tunis, Tripoli, or any other, and what is the manner of treating with them.

Mr Brantzen told me Yesterday, that Mr Bisdom and Mr Vander hope, were perfectly acquainted with the Subject, and would readily inform me. I would write to them, if I did not think it more probable they would give you the Information in Person, and if I did not think it less troublesome to them.1

With great Regard your most / humble servt.

On the Eleventh of this Month, I wrote you a Letter, in which I requested you to inform me, whether you had any Money of the 479 United States in your Hands and to what Amount. To that Letter I have not yet received any Answer.1

I now take the Liberty to repeat the Request contained in it, and to add another viz that you would inform me, what Number of Obligations you have remaining unsold both of my first and last Loan, how many of these obligations are in the Possession of each one of the three Houses.

I pray you also Gentlemen to inform me, what Expence would Attend putting all the Money you have on Hand, into the Bank of Amsterdam, there to remain untill disposed of by Congress or their Order, and whether any Commission would accrue to you, according to the Custom of Merchants and the Usages of your City, upon putting it in or drawing it out. in Short every possible Expence attending the Operations of putting it in and drawing it out. and whether the Agio would Occasion a Loss or Profit or neither to the United States.

I hope Gentlemen for an Answer to all these Enquiries as prompt as possible, and remain / with much Esteem &c