I am without any of your favors since that by Mr. Luard, & my last to you are of the 9th. & 17th Decr. I wish to have some other name than that of Franklin to direct to, & put under cover to Monsr. Grand; as it will pass better in the Post Office, & be more secure in point of my personal safety—in one of my late letters I mentiond that of B: Forbes, as a name which might be usd whenever I had any thing to say by Common post: as Capn. H——ns arrest brought on me much trouble, I am warnd by that, & other hostile appearances here, to be as cautious as possible. I have never yet faild in getting safely any Letter directed as the last from Mr Franklin Jur. Mr. W. singleton Church Nandos Coffee House London, where I get a friend to take them up as Mr. Church; if made up in the common small manner the better.

This will be given you by Mr. — Barber, who will return to Londn in a very few days & bear any thing safely from you. He is concernd with Mr. Saml Hartley in the African & Wt Inda Trade, & goes to Paris on some secret merchantile Business, which will be handed to Monsieur Sartine, & which will be best explaind by himself. S. Hartley is the Relation of & in close connexion with our honest freind David; He is a deserving man, & I hope from the circuitous trade He is upon with France & their West Indies, He will be a useful one to our Country; I therefore give Mr Barber a seperate introductory Letter to You, for any aid that you may have in your power to give to his scheme.

I have wrote to DH (now at his Country House) that Mr Barber was going, and as He has lately expressd a wish to write to you by some safe conveyance, I think I shall have a letter for you in time for Mr Barber to carry; If not, in a very few days there will be one equally good by a Countryman, Mr. K——x, who will go to you on similar business with that of Mr. Sterry in Novr. last, & which is in the fairest way of being propitious— Mr K——x was with you at P——s, at the same time that Sterry was there.

I am sorry to tell you that not one step is yet taken for the Cartel going another trip. The sailing is delayd by the board of sick & hurt on the former stale accot “the want of specification of numbers” this is the harder on me as they are dayly breaking out & flying here for assistance; & what is worse, many of the privates are entering into the Kings service.

I have helpt on board Ship (a Dutchman to Ama) no less than six to day & yesterday, ie Capn. Ruggles of a privar. Capn. Coffin of Do, & the Captains White, Tracey, Bartlett & Clarke, all of New England. As each man must be supplyd with some few Guineas, these burthens (so very frequent on me) are almost intolerable, & all my perswasions for the men not to break prison are inneffectual. There are two Cartel Ships from Boston, the terms on which they come away you will have on a seperate peice of Paper—as yet nothing is done towards releasing an equal number of american prisoners here, nor I beleive will there.

I annex you the Price of the Maps lately shippd for Amsterdam their amount is £25:18:6. That of the books has been before drawn for in Peter’s Bill which was made 110£ instead of the even hundred so that I owe you some shillings thereon. You will see by Conynghams accot with me, herewith sent, that His Ballance is 33:4:2d due me over & above the fifty pound bill I drew on you; this added to the accot of the maps make £59:2:8. which I shall draw on you for in the usual way on Monsr: Grand, & which I should be obligd to you to order Mr Grand to pay attention to.

I do not apprehend you have paid a Bill of Jas. Brehons (a surgeon in one of the Continental Ships) twice over; altho it may be so, for this man & others, after escaping once with my aid, was taken on his passage out, and again got away with four others from Forton— This can be cleard up when I get at my papers & made satisfactory to you.

If I have time I will inclose you a letter for Mr Carmichael. I hope when Mr. Jay & Adams arrives, you will mention me as a person extreemly ready, & at their command, to do any services to the cause, they are employd in. The latter appointment has causd much animadversion among the thick heads of this Country. I hope they may all arrive safe & to good purpose. I am with the highest esteem Dr Sir yr obligd & ob. Sert.