I had before endeavored to lead the depot of
rice from Cowes to Honfleur, and hope to get it received there on such
terms, as may draw that branch of commerce from England to this country.
It is an object of two hundred and fifty thousand guineas a year. While
passing through the towns of Turin, Milan, and Genoa, I satisfied
myself of the practicability of introducing our whale-oil for their
consumption, and suppose it would be equally so in the other great
cities of that country. I was sorry that I was not authorized to set the
matter on foot. The merchants with whom I chose to ask conferences met
me freely, and communicated fully, knowing I was in a public character.
I could, however, only prepare a disposition to meet our oil-merchants.
On the article of tobacco, I was more in possession of my ground; and
put matters into a train for inducing their government to draw their
tobaccos directly from the United States, and not, as heretofore, from
Great Britain. I am now occupied with the new ministry here, to put
the concluding hand to the new regulations for our commerce with this
country, announced in the letter of Monsieur de Calonne, which I
sent you last fall.
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