every nation attempts to raise everything it wants within itself. The limits within which the cotton plant is worth cultivating in the United States, are the Rappahannock river to the north, and the first mountains to the west. And even from the Rappahannock to the Roanoke, we only cultivate for family use, as it cannot there be afforded at market in competition with that of the more Southern region. The Mississippi country, also within the same latitudes, admits the culture of cotton.

The superficial view I have yet had time to take of your treatise on the cotton plant, induces a belief that

a it is rich and correct in its matter, and contains a great fund of learning on that plant. When retired to rural occupations, as I shall be ere long, I shall profit of its contents practically, in the culture of that plant merely for household manufacture. In that situation, too, I shall devote myself to occupations much more congenial with my inclinations than those to which I have been called by the character of the times into which my lot was cast. About to be relieved from this corvée by age and the fulfilment of the quadragena stipendia, what remains to me of physical activity will chiefly be employed in the amusements of agriculture. Having little practical skill, I count more on the pleasures than the profits of that occupation. They will give me, too, the leisure which my present situation nearly denies, of rendering such services as may be within my means, to the Institute, the Agricultural Society of the Seine, to yourself, and such other worthy individuals as may find any convenience in a correspondence here.

I shall then be able particularly to fulfil the wishes expressed, of my sending to the Society of Agriculture a plough with my mould-board. Perhaps I may be able to add some other implements, peculiar to us, to the collection which I perceive that the Society is making. I salute you, Sir, with assurances of great esteem and respect.

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
(JACOB CROWNINSHIELD).

WASHINGTON, July 16, 1808. DEAR SIR,—Complaints multiply upon us of eva-? sions of the embargo laws, by fraud and force. These come from Newport, Portland, Machias, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, etc., etc. As I do consider the severe enforcement of the embargo to be of an importance, not to be measuitd by money, for our future government as well as present objects, I think it will be advisable that during this summer all the gunboats, actually manned and in commission, should be distributed through as many ports and bays as may be necessary to assist the embargo. On this subject I will pray you to confer with Mr. Gallatin, who will call on you on his passage through Baltimore, and to communicate with him hereafter, directly, without the delay of consulting me, and generally to aid this object with such means of your department as are consistent with its situation.

I think I shall be able to leave this place by Wednesday. I will mention for your information, that the post for Milton leaves this place on Tuesdays and Fridays, and arrives at it on Sundays and, I believe, Thursdays.

I salute you with affection and respect.

TO ROBERT SMITH, OF THE WAR OFFICE.

WASHINGTON, July 16, 1808. SIR,—The correspondence which you sent me the other day, between the British commanders and our officers in Moose Island, is now in the hands of Mr. Madison, and will be delivered to you on application. On consulting him and Mr. Gallatin, I find the facts to be that Moose Island has ever been in our possession, as well before as ever since the treaty of peace with Great Britain; that in the convention formed between Mr. King and the British government, about four years ago, wherein our limits in that quarter were mutually recognized, Moose Island was expressly acknowledged to belong to us; and, through an account of an article respecting Louisiana, the convention has not yet been ratified, yet bo parties have acted on the article of these limits as if it had been ratified, -each party considering the parts then assigned to them as no longer questioned by the other.

I think you had better communicate the papers, with a copy of that article of the convention, to General Dearborn, with these observations, from whom the answer to our officer will go with more propriety. If you will speak on this subject with Mr. Madison, he will, perhaps, be able to state to you what passed between us on this subject more fully than I have done. Accept my salutations.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY GOVERNOR JAMES SULLIVAN."

WASHINGTON, July 16, 1808. SIR, -In my letter of May 6th I asked the favor of your Excellency, as I did of the Governors of other States not furnishing in their interior country flour sufficient for the consumption of the State, to take the trouble of giving certificates, in favor of any merchants meriting confidence, for the quantities necessary for consumption beyond the interior supplies. Having desired from the Treasury Department a statement of the quantities called for under these certificates, I find that those of your Excellency, received at the Treasury, amount to 51,000 barrels of flour, 108,400 bushels of Indian corn, 560 tierces of rice, 2,000 bushels of rye, and, in addition thereto, that there had been given certificates for either 12,450 barrels of flour, or 40,000 bushels of corn. As these supplies, although called for within the space of two months, will undoubtedly furnish the consumption of your State for a much longer time, I have thought it advisable to ask the favor of your Excellency, after the receipt of this letter, to discontinue issuing any other certificates, that we may not unnecessarily administer facilities to the evasion of the embargo laws; for I repeat what I observed in

my former letter, that these evasions are effected -- chiefly by vessels clearing coastwise. But while I

am desirous of preventing the frauds which go to defeat the salutary objects of these laws, I am equally so that the fair consumption of our citizens may in nowise be abridged. It would, therefore, be deemed a great favor if your Excellency could have me furnished with an estimate, on the best data possessed, of the quantities of flour, corn, and rice, which, in addition to your internal supplies, may be necessary for the consumption, in any given time, of those parts of your State which habitually depend on importation for these articles. I ask this the more freely, because I presume you must have had such an

I estimate formed for the government, of your discretion in issuing the preceding certificates, and because it may be so necessary for our future government. I salute you with assurance of great respect and esteem.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY GOVERNOR W. C. C. CLAIBORNE.'

WASHINGTON, July 17, 1808. SIR, -After writing my letter of the 9th, I received one from Mr. Pitot in the name of the New Orleans

"Governor of Louisiana Territory.

1