I had the honor of addressing you in two letters of the 13th and 16th of March from Amsterdam, and have since received Mr. Ramson’s of February the 20th.  I staid at Amsterdam about ten or twelve days after the departure of Mr. Adams, in hopes of seeing the million of the last year filled up.  This, however, could not be accomplished on the spot.  But the prospect was so good as to have dissipated all fears; and since my return here, I learn (not officially from our bankers, but) through a good channel, that they have received near four hundred thousand florins since the date of the statement I sent you in my letter of March the 16th; and I presume we need not fear the completion of that loan, which will provide for all our purposes of the year 1788, as stated in that paper.  I hope, therefore, to receive from the treasury orders in conformity thereto, that I may be able to proceed to the redemption of our captives.  A provision for the purposes of the years 1789 and 1790, as stated in the same paper, will depend on the ratification by Congress of Mr. Adams’s bonds of this year for another million of florins.  But there arises a new call from this government, for its interest at least.  Their silence hitherto has made it be believed in general, that they consented to the nonpayment of our interest to them, in order to accommodate us.  You will perceive in the seventy-fifth and seventy-sixth pages of the compte rendu, which I have the honor to send you, that they call for this interest, and will publish whether it be paid or not; and by No. 25, page eighty-one, that they count on its regular receipt for the purposes of the year.  These calls, for the first days of January, 1789 and 1790, will amount to about a million and a half of florins more; and if to be raised by loan, it must be for two millions, as well to cover the expenses of the loan, as that loans are not opened for fractions of millions.  This publication seems to render a provision for this interest as necessary as for that of Amsterdam.

I had taken measures to have it believed at Algiers, that our government withdrew its attention from our captives there.  This was to prepare their captors for the ransoming them at a reasonable price.  I find, however, that Captain O’Bryan is apprized that I have received some authority on this subject.  He writes me a cruel letter, supposing me the obstacle to their redemption.  Their own interest requires that I should leave them to think thus hardly of me.  Were the views of government communicated to them, they could not keep their own secret, and such a price would be demanded for them, as Congress, probably, would think ought not to be given, lest it should be the cause of involving thousands of others of their citizens in the same condition.  The moment I have money, the business shall be set in motion.