The morning after I received your very short letter, I determined to
devote the day to writing to my friend; but I had only just breakfasted,
when I had a visit from Monsieur Riviere, an officer on board the
_Languedoc_, who speaks English well, the captain of the _Zara_, and six
or eight other officers, from on board another ship. The first gentleman
dined with me, and spent the day, so that I had no opportunity of
writing that day. The gentlemen officers have made me several visits,
and I have dined twice on board, at very elegant entertainments. Count
d'Estaing has been exceedingly polite to me. Soon after he arrived here,
I received a message from him requesting that I would meet him at
Colonel Quincy's, as it was inconvenient leaving his ship for any long
time. I waited upon him, and was very politely received. Upon parting,
he requested that the family would accompany me on board his ship and
dine with him the next Thursday, with any friends we chose to bring; and
his barge should come for us. We went, according to the invitation, and
were sumptuously entertained, with every delicacy that this country
produces, and the addition of every foreign article that could render
our feast splendid. Music and dancing for the young folks closed the
day.
The temperance of these gentlemen, the peaceable, quiet disposition both
of officers and men, joined to many other virtues which they have
exhibited during their continuance with us, are sufficient to make
Europeans, and Americans too, blush at their own degeneracy of manners.
Not one officer has been seen the least disguised with liquor since
their arrival. Most that I have seen appear to be gentlemen of family
and education. I have been the more desirous to take notice of them, as
I cannot help saying that they have been neglected in the town of
Boston. Generals Heath and Hancock have done their part, but very few,
if any, private families have any acquaintance with them.
Perhaps I feel more anxious to have them distinguished, on account of
the near and dear connections I have among them. It would gratify me
much, if I had it in my power, to entertain every officer in the fleet.
In the very few lines I have received from you, not the least mention is
made that you have ever received a line from me. I have not been so
parsimonious as my friend,--perhaps I am not so prudent; but I cannot
take my pen, with my heart overflowing, and not give utterance to some
of the abundance which is in it. Could you, after a thousand fears and
anxieties, long expectation, and painful suspense, be satisfied with my
telling you that I was well, that I wished you were with me, that my
daughter sent her duty, that I had ordered some articles for you, which
I hoped would arrive, etc., etc.? By Heaven, if you could, you have
changed hearts with some frozen Laplander, or made a voyage to a region
that has chilled every drop of your blood; but I will restrain a pen
already, I fear, too rash, nor shall it tell you how much I have
suffered from this appearance of--inattention.
The articles sent by Captain Tucker have arrived safe, and will be of
great service to me. Our money is very little better than blank paper.
It takes forty dollars to purchase a barrel of cider; fifty pounds
lawful for a hundred of sugar, and fifty dollars for a hundred of flour;
four dollars per day for a laborer, and find him, which will amount to
four more. You will see, by bills drawn before the date of this, that I
had taken the method which I was happy in finding you had directed me
to. I shall draw for the rest as I find my situation requires. No
article that can be named, foreign or domestic, but what costs more than
double in hard money what it once sold for. In one letter I have given
you an account of our local situation, and of _everything_ I thought you
might wish to know. Four or five sheets of paper, written to you by the
last mail, were destroyed when the vessel was taken.[194] Duplicates are
my aversion, though I believe I should set a value upon them, if I were
to receive them from a certain friend; a friend who never was deficient
in testifying his regard and affection to his