322
ceedings, and who, in case he thought any thing was going amiss, might give us information. 2. Not to give him a credit on Van Stap- horst and Willinck, but let his drafts be made on yourself, which, with the knowledge you will have of his proceedings, will enable you to check them, if you are sensible of any abuse intended. This will give you trouble ; but as I have never found you declin ing trouble, when it is necessary, I venture to propose it. I hope it will not expose you to inconvenience, as by instructing Lambe to insert in his drafts a proper usance, you can, in the mean time, raise the money for them by drawing on Holland. I must inform you that Mr. Barclay wishes to be put on the same footing with Mr. Lambe, as to this article, and therefore I return you your let ter of credit on Van Staphorst & Co. As to the first article, there is great difficulty. There is nobody at Paris fit for the undertak ing, who yould be likely to accept it. I mean there is no Ame rican, for I should be anxious to place a native in the trust. Per haps, you can send us one from London. There is a Mr. Ran dall there, from New York, whom Mr. Barclay thinks might be relied on very firmly, for integrity and capacity. He is there for his health ; perhaps you can persuade him to go to Algiers in pur suit of it. If you cannot, I really know not what will be done. It is impossible to propose to Bancroft to go in a secondary capa city. Mr. Barclay and myself have thought of Cairnes, at L Orient, as a dejnier resort. But it is uncertain, or rather improbable, that he will undertake it. You will be pleased, in the first place, to consider of my proposition to send Lambe to Algiers ; and in the next, all the circumstances before detailed, as consequences of that.
The enclosed letter from Richard O Bryan, furnishes powerful motives for commencing, by some means or other, the treaty with Algiers, more immediately than would be done, if left on Mr. Barclay. You will perceive by that, that two of our vessels, with their crews and cargoes, have been carried captive into that port. What is to be done as to those poor people ? I am for hazarding the supplementary instruction to Lambe, which accompanies these papers. Alter it, or reject it, as you please. You ask what I think of claiming the Dutch interposition. I doubt the fidelity of any interposition too much, to desire it sincerely. Our letters to this court, heretofore, seemed to oblige us to communicate with them on the subject. If you think the Dutch would take amiss our not applying to them, 1 will join you in the application. Otherwise, the fewer who are apprised of our proceedings, the better. To communicate them to the States of Holland, is to communicate them to the whole world.
