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When the general matter was thus arranged, a Mr. Barrett ar rived here from Boston, with letters of recommendation from Go vernor Bowdoin, Gushing and others. His errand was, to get the whale business here put on a general bottom, instead of the par ticular one, which had been settled, you know, the last year, for a special company. We told him what was done. He thinks it will answer, and proposes to settle at L Orient, for conducting the sales of the oil, and the returns. I hope, therefore, that this mat ter is tolerably well fixed, as far as the consumption of this country goes. I know not, as yet, to what amount that is ; but shall en deavor to find out how much they consume, and how much they furnish themselves. 1 propose to Mr. Barrett, that he should in duce either his State or individuals, to send a sufficient number of boxes of the spermaceti candle, to give one to every leading house in Paris ; I mean to those who lead the ton : and at the same time, to deposite a quantity for sale here, and advertise them in the petites affiches. I have written to Mr. Carmichael, to know on what footing the use and introduction of the whale oil is there, or can be placed.
I have the honor to be, with very sincere esteem, Dear Sir, your most obedient humble servant,
TH: JEFFERSON.
LETTER CXLI.
TO JOHN ADAMS.
Paris, December 11, 1785. DEAR SIR,
Baron Polnitz not going off till to day, enables me to add some information which I received from Mr. Barclay this morning. You know the immense amount of Beaumarchais accounts with the United States, and that Mr. Barclay was authorised to settle them. Beaumarchais had pertinaciously insisted on settling them with Congress. Probably he received from them a denial : for just as Mr. Barclay was about to set out on the journey we des tined him, Beaumarchais tendered him a settlement. It was thought best not to refuse this, and that it would produce a very short delay. However, it becomes long, and Mr. Barclay thinks it will occupy him all this month. The importance of the account, and a belief that nobody can settle it so well as Mr. Barclay, who
