That the above sugar, cotton and coffee, was shipped partly on account and risk of citizen John Mercié, of Bordeaux, owner of the ship Titus of Bordeaux, and partly on account and risk of sundry other persons interested.

That the intention of the appearer had been, to dispose of the said sugar, cotton and coffee, on account of the above mentioned John Mercié, and of all those concerned in it, on his arrival at Philadelphia.

That on his arrival at Saint Christophers, all the merchandise already mentioned were debarked and seized by the admiralty of that place, as is proved by the certificate of E. Moore, secretary of the said admiralty, placed underneath the deposition which the said appearer had made before the English judge, Archibald Esdale, at the said island of Saint Christophers, and which he presented to us, and at his request, is hereunto annexed, to recur to, duly certified and compared according to the ordinance.

That of the whole of the above, the said appearer having required a certificate, we, the Chancellor above mentioned, have, by these presents, granted the same, to avail him as it may of right.

The said appearer expressly declaring and protesting, for all losses, and for all expenses of damages and interests, against the said English privateer the brigantine Fanny, captain Bloomsbury, against the said admiralty of Saint Christophers, and against all others whom it may concern, for the carrying off and seizure made by them of all the said merchandises from on board the said American brigantine Columbia, captain Green, in contempt of the dignity of the American nation.

Done at Philadelphia, in the Chancery of the Consu-
late of the French Republick, the said day, month,
and year above mentioned, in the presence of the
citizens Martin, Oster and Peter Barriere, residents
in this city, who have signed the same with us and
the said appearer, after having read the same.
The minutes of the present remaining in the Chancery.
J. BE. LEMAIRE.

Examined by us, consul of the French Republick, at Philadelphia, this 18th July, 1793, 2d year of the Republick. - FROIS. DUPONT.

Certified conformable to the original.

GENET.

We the undersigned passengers on board the galliot, the Regulator, captain White, bound from Jeremie to Baltimore, in the state of Maryland.

Declare

THAT having sailed on the night of the 21st May, 1793, we on the 23d, at three in the morning, met four French frigates, that one of them having fired a cannon, ordered us to hoist out our boat, that one of the officers came on board, examined the papers of the captain of the galliot, examined one of our passports, and then retired, testifying his regret at having detained us.

That on the 25th, about six in the morning, being under the great Inague, and very close to the land, we saw a sloop who weighed anchor to the windward, bearing down upon us, fired a cannon at us and hoisted an English flag, sent five armed men on board of us, who rendered an account by a trumpet, that the vessel was laden with coffee and cotton, and that there were some negro slaves on board. But at the moment there appeared two other vessels, towards which the privateer immediately steered, ordering us to anchor. These two vessels were found also to be American, and were in like manner obliged to come to anchor. A third appeared some time after, and was likewise ordered to anchor.

The privateer was employed in visiting these three vessels until four in the afternoon, during which time we were under the guard of five men, who presented themselves to us more like pirates coming to seize their prey, than as privateers who have an intention to respect a neutral flag. These men whose countenances led us to believe them capable of realizing the most sinister things, prepared us for an event which would at the same time have injured us, in making us fail in the object of our voyage. They informed us that we were to be carried into Jamaica.

At four in the afternoon, the captain of the privateer came on board of us with ten armed men, they drove all the passengers out of their state-rooms, with a naked sword in one hand and a pistol in the other, appearing disposed to proceed to violence, without the least effort on the part of their captain to check them. In an instant all the effects of the passengers were ransacked. In vain did captain White present to them his papers, and endeavour to stop them, they paid no attention and scarcely looked at them.

The representations of these hostile acts, rendering them still more violent, they threatened those who endeavoured to reason with them. They broke the locks of the trunks without waiting till the keys were found, they raised a part of the plank of the cabin, they rummaged the captain's trunk, they found money there, seized it and gave it to one of their people to take care of. At the same time they went to the forecastle, they broke open every thing that was locked up. They forced the partitions which separate the births. They cut open a great quantity of coffee bags.

Having however found nothing in this search, made with the greatest brutality, which falsified the assertion of captain White as to the property of the cargo, they appeared much embarrassed at the part they should take with respect to us. They in particular made offers to some of the seamen to depose against the declarations of our captain, they sent three of them on board the privateer, whom they endeavoured equally, but as unsuccessfully, to seduce.

This vexatious conduct was interrupted by night coming on. It may be conceived how we passed it, it did not to us appear probable that men who appeared to breathe nothing but pillage and robbery, would allow this opportunity to escape.

On the 26th, as soon as day appeared, captain White was called on board the privateer, where several disputes arose, in which some wished to have the vessel carried into Jamaica,others that the passengers with their effects should be put on board as prisoners, and others that the captain's trunk containing money sbould be seized, others in fine, that they should seize the negro slaves, or send captain. White back with a new detachment, who should continue to search the effects and vessel.

We observed among this brutal and greedy horde, a man who not only disapproved the conduct of the others, but also appeared very much opposed to the attempt which he saw them determined to commit in one way or another on neutral property. This was the surgeon of the privateer, perhaps he might have had sufficient ascendency to hinder them from taking the vessel, but he could not doubtless obtain every thing at eight o'clock the privateer gave orders to the detachment which guarded us to bring off the negroes and return on board. They at the same time permitted captain White to hoist sail. He set sail in

order to go and reconnoitre two vessels which were making for the entrance.

Under these circumstances, captain White, as well as the passengers, having no means of reclamation, the former against the hostile proceedings of the privateer, the latter against the carrying off the negroes, could do no otherwise than follow their destination, reserving to themselves the privileges of their respective rights against this piracy.

Several men belonging to the privateer have given us information relative to this vessel, and the captain by the particular information of the surgeon. The vessel is called the Joseph and Mary, of Kingston, island of Jamaica, commanded by David Harris, owners M. M. Allen and White. Captain Harris appeared to us to be a weak, indecisive man, without character, having no authority over his crew, and we cannot help thinking that in this rencounter, at the mercy of a crew of fifty or sixty men, the most of whom cager for plunder, without any subordination, the vessel, our persons and our property, have been in the greatest danger.

Done on board the galliot called the Regulator, cap-
tain White, the 7th June, 1793.

SIMON WHITE, Captain.
LEWIS JEWELL, Master.

PETER NOUVEL,

CHOUQUET DE SAVAREAU, Passengers.
GASTIN DE NOGERE,

G. BENTIER,

Certified to be conformable to the original. GENET.

The Citizen Genet, Minister of the Republick of France, to Mr. Jefferson, Secretary of State of the United States. Philadelphia, July 25, 1793, 2d year of the Republick of France.

SIR, I receive daily new complaints on the insults which the English are pleased to commit against the flag of the United States, the papers here enclosed will prove to you that the sovereignty of your country is violated with impunity, not by the legitimate exercise which we have thought proper to make of some rights granted to us by treaty, but by the spoliation, the pillage, the bad treatment exercissd by our enemies in contempt of your laws,

and even under shadow of the signs of your sovereignty. On all the seas an audacious piracy pursues even in your vessels French property, and also that of the Americans when destined for our ports-your political rights are counted for nothing: in vain do the principles of neutrality establish, that friendly vessels make friendly goods: in vain, sir, does the President of the United States endeavour, by his proclamation, to reclaim the observation of this maxim; in vain does the desire of preserving peace lead to sacrifice the interests of France to that of the moment; in vain does the thirst of riches preponderate over honour in the political balance of America: all this management, all this condescension, all this humility, end in nothing; our enemies laugh at it; and the French, too confident, are punished for having believed that the American nation had a flag, that they had some respect for their laws, some conviction of their strength, and entertained some sentiment of their dignity. It is not possible for me, sir, to paint to you all my sensibility at this scandal, which tends to the diminution of your commerce, to the oppression of ours, and to the debasement and vilification of republicks. It is for the Americans to make known. their generous indignation at this outrage, and I must confine myself to demand of you, a second time, to inform me of the measures which you have taken in order to obtain restitution of the property plundered from my fellow citizens under the protection of your flag. It is from our government they have learned that the Americans were our allies, that the American nation was sovereign, and that they knew how to make themselves respected. It is then under the very sanction of the French nation that they have confided their property and persons to the safeguard of the American flag, and on her they submit the care of causing those rights to be respected. But if our fellow citizens have been deceived, if you are not in a condition to maintain the sovereignty of your people, speak; we have guaranteed it when slaves, we shall be able to render it formidable, having become freemen. GENET.

Accept, sir, &c.

This day the 18th July, 1793, 2d year of the French Republick,

APPEARED before us, Francis Dupont, consul of the French Republick, at Philadelphia, in the state of Pennsyl