send it by sea from L'Orient to London; but being disappointed, I applied to government for leave to transport it through the kingdom by land, and the Duke of Dorset has been so obliging as to write to the custom-house at Dover, requesting them to let it pass to London, without being opened. It is now arrived here, and will be forwarded immediately to your sister in London, under the lead that has been affixed to the case that contains it, by the Farmer's General at L'Orient, and the seal of the Duke of Dorset, that has been affixed to it here. The charges to London are paid, and I have directed it to be delivered at the house of your sister.

I could have wished to have ended this delicate business by delivering the plate to you at St. Mary's Isle, in Scotland; but I conform to the arrangement made between Lord Selkirk and Mr. Alexander, because I have no person in London whom I can charge with the transportation of the plate from thence. Enclosed is the inventory that I have just received from Mr. Nesbitt, from L'Orient, which I presume you will find to correspond with the one he sent last year to Lord Dare, and with the articles which you put into the hands of my men.

I am, Madam, with sentiments of the highest respect,

Your Ladyship's most obedient

And most humble servant,

PAUL JONES.

From the Count D'ESTAING, Commander of the Fleet of His Most Christian Majesty.

Paris, Dec. 18th, 1785.

To Mr. PAUL JONES, Commodore in
the Navy of the United States.

SIR,

}

It is impossible not to take advantage of your kindness. Never lend me your Journal again, for I must warn you that I shall read it over and over, and always with renewed pleaIt is one of those things which one absolutely wants to know by heart. It is not only a lesson of naval and military heroism, but, by your conduct to Lord and Lady Selkirk, also one of generosity.

sure.

I am very far from regretting the homage which I have been obliged to render to the engagement between the Bon

Homme Richard and the Serapis; and although I did not suppose, while writing it,* that it might be of any other use than that of procuring an admission into the Society of the Cincinnati, I can but be flattered that you have thought it proper to insert it among the pieces which are annexed to your Journal.

I have the honor to be,

With the most perfect attachment,
Your most obedient servant,

ESTAING,

London, August 4th, 1789,

Monsieur le Chevalier PAUL JONES, á Paris,

SIR,

I received the letter you wrote to me at the time you sent off my plate, in order for restoring it. Had I known where to direct a letter to you, at the time it arrived in Scotland, I would then have wrote to you; but not knowing it, nor finding that any of my acquaintance at Edinburg knew it, I was obliged to delay writing till I came here; when, by means of a gentleman connected with America, I was told M. le Grand was your banker at Paris, and would take proper care of a letter for you; therefore, I enclose this to him.

Notwithstanding all the precautions you took for the easy and uninterrupted conveyance of the plate, yet it met with considerable delays: first at Calais, next at Dover, then at London; however, it at last arrived at Dumfries, and I dare say quite safe, though as yet I have not seen it, being then. at Edinburg.

I intended to have put an article in the newspapers about your having returned it; but before I was informed of its being arrived, some of your friends, I suppose, had put it in the Dumfries newspaper, whence it was immediately copied into the Edinburg papers, and thence into the London ones. Since that time, I have mentioned it to many people of fashion; and, on all occasions, Sir, both now and formerly, I have done you the justice to tell, that you made an offer of returning the plate very soon after your return to Brest; and, although you yourself was not at my house, but remained at the shore with your boat, that yet you had your officers and

* In his recommendation of Capt. Edward Stack for admission into the Society of Cincinnati.

H

!

men in such extraordinary good discipline, that your having given them the strictest orders to behave well, to do no injury of any kind, to make no search, but only to bring off what plate was given them; that in reality they did exactly as ordered, and that not one man offered to stir from his post on the outside of the house, nor entered the doors, nor said an uncivil word; that the two officers staid not a quarter of an hour in the parlour and butler's pantry, while the butler got the plate together, behaved politely, and asked for nothing but the plate, and instantly marched their men off in regular order, and that both officers and men behaved in all respects so well, that it would have done credit to the best disciplined troops whatever.

Some of the English newspapers, at that time, having put in confused accounts of your expedition to Whitehaven and Scotland, I ordered a proper one of what happened in Scotland to be put in the London newspapers, by a gentleman who was then at my house, by which the good conduct and civil behaviour of your officers and men was done justice to, and attributed to your order, and the good discipline you maintained over your people.

I am, Sir, your most humble servant,

SELKIRK.

So highly did Dr. Franklin, and John Adams, the American commissioners to the Court of France appreciate the descent upon Whitehaven, that they proposed to recommend the persons engaged in it to the Congress, and wrote a letter to Captain Jones to that effect, of which the subjoined is an

extract:

Extract of a letter from their excellencies, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams, to Captain John Paul Jones, dated Passy, August 10th, 1778.

"We shall recommend the men who landed with you at Whitehaven, to the favor of Congress, because we think they merited it; but lest our recommendation should miscarry, we wish you to recommend them, and enclose in your letter an extract of this paragraph of ours. As they have done themselves so much honor in this expedition, perhaps Congress would approve of the deduction of the advance at the time of entry, which they all received from me, being made from their wages in America, that the men may have their prize money here."

Captain Jones, indeed, according to a letter which he addressed to the Marine Committee of Congress, was the first to suggest to the American commissioners the propriety of rewarding the brave men who had been concerned in that enterprise. Less anxious about his own fortune than that of those who served with him, and merited an extraordinary recompense; he was the invariable friend of the praiseworthy seamen, whose rights he was ever ready to support, and whose interests he never failed to advance, when a favorable opportunity offered itself for his interposition:

Brest, August 18th, 1778. To the Honorable the MARINE COMMITTEE.

GENTLEMEN,

It is evident from the above extract, that the letter from which it is taken, was written in compliance with my particular request to the Commissioners. It was my intention from the beginning, to beseech you also to recommend the men who landed with me at Whitehaven, to the bounty of Congress. That service being unprecedented in latter wars, accounts for the extreme difficulty which I found prevailing with the handful of men, who, at last, reluctantly undertook it. The men, however, have in my judgment well merited a reward, and the bestowing it liberally on so few, would, I hope, have a happy effect in prompting others to attempt still greater enterprises, with such spirit and unanimity as will generally ensure success, and lead to the most glorious victory.

For me, if I have done my duty, the continued approbation of Congress, and the Marine Committee, will make me rich indeed, and far more than reward me for a life of service devoted from principles of philanthropy, to support the dignity of human nature.

The court of France having made application without my knowledge, to the commissioners, that I should remain for a little time in Europe, and they having consented, Congress will, I flatter myself, approve of my having also consented to oblige a court, who has asked such a trifle, as a favor, and to whom America owes such superior obligations. I will, however, command only under freedom's flag, which I have endeavoured to support since it was first displayed. I will be always ready to return to America, and I hope with

some improvement, and increase of knowledge in Marine affairs,

I am, with unfeigned sentiments of esteem,

and grateful respect,

Gentlemen, yours, &c.

The Ranger returned from her cruize, and came to anchor in the road of Brest, on the 9th of May 1778. Unhappy differences still prevailed between Capt. Jones and his first lieutenant, whom he accused of disobedience of orders, and of incessant efforts to introduce insubordination among the seamen. Prior to Capt. Jones's taking command of the Ranger, at Portsmouth, New-Hampshire,, his first lieutenant, whose name was Simpson, had instilled into the minds of the crew, that Jones was not the real commander of the vessel; that he was, indeed, to have the control during the passage; but that, on his arrival in France, the command was to devolve on the lieutenant. Disquietudes arose among the men; Jones and Simpson had personal quarrels ; and to such extremities were these unhappy differences carried, that the expedition against Whitehaven was near miscarrying, and the Drake escaping the capture which awaited her. The enterprises of Capt. Jones being out of the ordinary routine of naval service, the seamen did not alalways relish them; and, carrying their notions of civil government on board of a man-of-war, thought they had a just claim to be consulted on any occasion when extraordinary duty was to be performed. Jones, on the contrary, was a strict disciplinarian, required every thing to be done in time and place, and enforced rigid obedience to the orders of superiors. It is very probable also, that Lieut. Simpson, understanding that Jones was repairing to France to take the command of a vessel of a large class, did really believe that he was there to leave the Ranger under the direction of the lieutenant, who might have supposed that he was to re-conduct her to America. Whatever the impressions of Simpson were, and whatever the deportment of Jones, it is certain that great jealousy and animosity prevailed between them, which resulted in the arrest of the former whilst navigating the Drake to a port in France. Capt. Jones accused Lieut. Simpson of disregarding his instructions and signals, and by the following written order suspended him from command: