1st. France is to enjoy the right of fishing and drying on all the west coast of Newfoundland, down to Cape Ray. Miquelon and St Pierre to be restored, and may be fortified.
2d. Senegal remains to France, and Goree to be restored. The Gambia entirely to England.
3d. All the places taken from France in the East Indies to be restored, with a certain quantity of territory round them.
4th. In the West Indies, Grenada and the Grenadines, St Christophers, Nevis and Montserat, to be restored to England. St Lucia to France. Dominique to remain with France, and St Vincents to be neutralized.
5th. No Commissioner at Dunkirk.
The points not yet quite settled are the territory round the places in the Indies, and neutralization of St Vincents. Apparently these will not create much difficulty.
Holland has yet hardly done anything in her negotiation.
Spain offers for Gibraltar to restore West Florida and the Bahamas. An addition is talked of the island of Guadaloupe, which France will cede to Spain in exchange for the other half of Hispaniola, and Spain to England, but England, it is said, chose rather Porto Rico. Nothing yet concluded.
As soon as I received the commission and instructions for treating with Sweden, I waited on the Ambassador here, who told me he daily expected a courier on that subject. Yesterday he wrote a note to acquaint me, that he would call on me today, having something to communicate to me. Being obliged to go to Paris, I waited on him, when he showed me the full powers he had just received, and I showed him mine. We agreed to meet on Wednesday next, exchange copies, and proceed to business. His commission has some polite expressions in it, to wit; "that his Majesty thought it for the good of his subjects to enter into a treaty of amity and commerce with the United States of America, who had established their independence so justly merited by their courage and constancy;" or to that effect. I imagine this treaty will be soon completed; if any difficulty should arise, I shall take the advice of my colleagues.
I thank you for the copies of Mr Paine's letter to the Abbé Raynal, which I have distributed to good hands. The errors we see in histories of our times and affairs weaken our faith in ancient history. M. Hilliard d'Auberteuil has here written another history of our revolution, which however he modestly calls an essay, and fearing that there may be errors, and wishing to have them corrected, that his second edition may be more perfect, he has brought me six sets, which he desires me to put into such hands in America, as may be good enough to render him and the public that service. I send them to you for that purpose, by Captain Barney, desiring that one set may be given to Mr Paine, and the rest where you please. There is a quarto set in the parcel, which please to accept from me.