This letter was accompanied with the following one, on the subject of some more bills that had just arrived.
"Mr Jay presents his respectful compliments to his Excellency the Count de Florida Blanca, and has the honor of informing him, that he has been called upon to accept bills to the amount of between ten and eleven thousand dollars; that the far greater part of them belong to Messrs Joyce of this city, who have agreed to wait for an answer until Monday next.
"Mr Jay exceedingly regrets his being obliged to give his Excellency so much trouble, but still flatters himself, that, when his Excellency considers it as his duty which imposes that necessity upon him, his goodness will excuse it.
Madrid, June 28th, 1780."
I ought also to add, that I had sent to the Count a representation on the subject of a very high handed stretch of power in the Governor of Teneriffe, towards a prize carried there by some Americans. On the next day I received the following answer to these three papers.
Translation.
"Aranjues, June 29th, 1780.
"The Count de Florida Blanca has had the honor of the three last letters, which Mr Jay has been pleased to write him.
"The first relates to a privateer detained in the Canaries. On this point he can say nothing until he has obtained some further information thereon.
"The second respects some new bills of exchange just presented by Messrs Joyce, to the amount of between ten and eleven thousand dollars. The Count can give no positive answer hereon, without first taking the orders of the King, his master, and having a meeting with the other Ministers, and some of these having already gone to Madrid, a determination cannot be immediately had, which renders it necessary for Mr Jay to require Messrs Joyce to wait some days longer for the answer in question.