Sir:

I thank you for your Letter of the 11th of February which I had the pleasure of receiving this Day. I had before the satisfaction of seeing a New York paper which came by Sea which contained the Result of the deliberations of the Convention of Massachusetts.

I am sorry that you have been so long without a Colleague; in consequence of a Letter which I received from the Secretary of Congress I wrote to your Colleagues early in January shewing the necessity of their proceeding on so soon as possible, but have never been favoured with an answer. I will now write to them pressing them to come on to your aid, and as the weather which has hitherto been uncommonly severe for the Climate will not probably be more favourable for travelling I shall hope to prevail on them to proceed.

I some time ago received the letters of which the enclosed are Copies from some Gentlemen beyond the Mountains which I promised to communicate to you, tho’ it is not my opinion that the Court of Madrid or any of their Officers have the least share in abetting the grievances they complain of, yet it may give them some satisfaction to know from you your opinion on this subject, but submit it entirely to your direction, whether it will be proper to mention it to the Minister of that Court. By what I could collect from the Express, most of those who have been murdered were such as had ventured to ramble at too great a distance from the Inhabitants & were shot down by Indians who were hunting, nor did it appear that they were embodied in any considerable number, but rather consisted of straggling Hunters who murdered for the sake of plunder.

It will give me pleasure to hear from you as often as your Leisure