My dear sir,—­A friend of mine to whom I give entire credit, who lived many years in Canada, and was well acquainted with the bearer of this letter, requests me to introduce him to you.  After a long confinement in prison in Quebec, where he was used with great severity, he found means to make his escape, and came to this town.  He is a Frenchman by birth, and was a very respectable merchant in Canada.  When the attempt was made to gain that country in 1775, he privately aided our forces; the suspicion of which rendered him obnoxious to the British government, and was the real cause of his suffering.  He will inform you of the state and circumstances of British affairs there, and will tell you it is an easy thing to unite that province with these states.  Possibly he may be influenced in some degree by a just resentment of the ill-treatment he has received; but other intelligent persons acquainted with the people of Canada, have zealously affirmed the same to me.  If it be so, it is hoped that a favourable opportunity to effect it will be embraced, if any such should offer.  I need not hint to you the importance of that object.  Adieu,

Your friend,

1783

TO ARTHUR LEE.

[R.  H. Lee, Life of Arthur Lee, vol. ii., pp. 232-234, a draft is in the Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]

Boston, Feb. 10th, 1783.

My dear sir,—­It is a long time since I had the pleasure of a letter from you.  I hope you have not struck my name from the list of your correspondents.  Mr. Stephen Higginson, who will deliver you this letter, is appointed a delegate of this state.  He is a sensible and very worthy man, and I think entertains sentiments like yours.  I am persuaded you will find him a valuable member, if his great modesty and diffidence of himself will allow him to step forward as far as his good understanding would lead him.

I feel myself constrained to mention to you the present situation of Capt.  Landais, though not at his request, or the smallest intimation from him.  He resides in this town, and sometimes calls to see me.  As he appears to be an injured man, I wish that justice may be done to him; and I am the more solicitous about it, as I was, with your worthy brother Mr. R. H. instrumental in his first appointment in the American navy.  Congress granted him 12,000 livres as a compensation for services he had performed, and ordered that he should be paid by Dr. F. in France; but for some reason which is or ought to be known, he has never received that sum.  Much the greater part of his wages as commander of the Alliance remains unpaid.  A large sum due to him for prize-money is stopped in the hands of some person or persons in France; which indeed is too common a complaint among those continental officers and seamen who have carried prizes into ports in Europe.  He made a journey to Philadelphia to obtain a settlement of