them there is advice that the French fleet, which was in the West Indies, is come to the northward; and now it is questioned whether it will be thought prudent for these transports to sail till there is certain advice, that the grand fleet is arrived from England. This, however, is only town talk.

I send Mr. Kneeland's letter. Pray forward the paper he writes for, by the first opportunity. I send a memorandum received from Joseph Crocker, with a note on the back of it. I leave it to yourself whether to go home directly, or stay a little longer. If I find we are not likely to sail for some time, I shall perhaps step down again to Woodbridge, and try to finish my work. But it may be, that your longer absence from home will be attended with some inconvenience. I am making up a bundle of papers to send you. Put them into my room. I can hear nothing yet of the clothes.

I have been very low-spirited all day. This tedious state of uncertainty and long waiting have almost worn out my patience. Except the two or three weeks at Woodbridge, I know not when I have spent time so uselessly, as since I left Philadelphia.

I left my best spectacles on the table. Please to send them to me.

Saturday Morning. - Jemmy got here early, and tells me Mr. Parker and the children got well down. In my room on the folio shelf between the clock and our bedchamber, stands a folio, ner's Dictionary, by P. Miller. side of the room, on the lowest

called the GardiAnd on the same shelf or lowest but side of a little par

one, near the middle, and by the tition, you will find standing or rather lying on its fore edge a quarto pamphlet, covered with blue pa

per, called a Treatise on Cider-making. Deliver those two books to Mr. Parker.

Sunday Afternoon. Yesterday, while I was at my Lord's,* with whom I had the honor to dine, word was brought in that five sail of French men-of-war were seen off Egg Harbour the day before; and, as some of the French prisoners lately brought in report, that such a number of men-of-war sailed with them from the West Indies to go to the northward, these vessels might be supposed to be the same, if the account from Egg Harbour was true. If on examination it be found true, and the French take it into their heads to cruise off this port with such a force, we shall then be shut up here for some time, for our fleet here is not of force sufficient to venture out. If this story be not true, yet it is thought by some we shall hardly sail till there is certain advice of the English fleet being arrived at Halifax, and perhaps not till a convoy comes from thence to guard us. So I am wavering whether I had not best go down again to Woodbridge and finish my books.

I spent last evening with Mr. Nichol's family, who all desired their compliments to you and Sally. I send you one of the French books translated.

Monday Morning. Our going is yet uncertain. I believe I shall put every thing on board to-morrow, and either go down again to Woodbridge or send for the trunk of books hither to employ myself till we have sailed. The report of French men-of-war off the coast is vanished. I am, my dear Debby, your ever loving husband, B. FRANKLIN.

Lord Loudoun, who had lately arrived as commander-in-chief in America, being successor to General Shirley.

VOL. VII.

18

L*

The Voyage delayed. - Interviews with Lord Loudoun respecting Payment for Servants enlisted into the Army by the King's Officers in Pennsylvania.

New York, 30 May, 1757.

SIR, After waiting here above seven weeks for the sailing of the packet, the time of her sailing is no more certain now than it was on the day of our arrival. The packets, as it is now said, are all three to sail with the fleet; the two first to be dismissed soon after the fleet is at sea; the third to go with the fleet to the place of rendezvous, and not to be discharged till the arrival and junction of the fleet from England. But this is not certain; resolutions change as advices are received, or occurrences arise, and it is doubtful whether the fleet will sail from hence till there is certain news of the arrival of that from England, since there is intelligence that Beaufremont's squadron is gone from the West Indies to the northward.

I have had the honor of several conferences with my Lord Loudoun, on the subject of the servants.† His Lordship objects, first, that it appears by the list, which

* For many years Speaker of the Assembly in Pennsylvania.

It was common for emigrants, of the poorer class, to pay for their passage by selling their time for a certain number of years to the captain, in whose ship they came over. The time, or term of service, thus pledged, was sold by the captain, after his arrival in port, to farmers in the country. During the war, it had been a practice of the recruiting officers to enlist these servants into the army, thus depriving the farmers of their services, and of the value that had been paid for them. Redress was sought from the government, and Franklin was instructed to lay the subject before Lord Loudoun, the commander-in-chief of the army. Other particulars respecting emigrant servants, and the enlistment of them, may be seen in SPARKS's edition of Washington's Writings, Vol. II. pp. 168, 189, 199.

I laid before him, that many of the servants were enlisted in General Braddock's and General Shirley's time. With those he has nothing to do. Secondly, that many were enlisted before the act of Parliament appointed satisfaction to be made to the masters; and, as the lawyers all agree that the right to take them. without pay was clearly in the King before the act, no satisfaction should be made or expected for these. Thirdly, that the particular proofs of the loss of each servant, and of his being enlisted in the King's service, do not appear. Fourthly, that the affair is now so intricate and perplexed, that it would take more time to examine and settle it, than he can possibly spare. Fifthly, that, if his officers had done wrong in not paying for the servants, as they took them, the fault was our own; it was owing to some principal people among ourselves, whom he could name, who had always assured the officers, that the Assembly intended to pay for the servants, and by that means led them into the error.

His Lordship made several other observations and objections, all which I answered and endeavoured to remove as well as I could; but there is, I believe, one at bottom, which it is not in my power to remove, and that is the want of money. The expenses of an American war necessarily run very high, and are complained of by some in England; and his Lordship is unwilling to discourage the ministry at home by large charges. He will therefore mix none of those of his predecessors with his own. He makes the most frugal agreements, and avoids all payments, that he can avoid with honor. For instance, there is a balance not very large due to me, on my account of wagons and forage supplies to General Braddock. I presented the account to his Lordship, who had it

examined and compared with the vouchers; and, on report made to him that it was right, ordered a warrant to be drawn for the payment; but, before he signed it, he sent for me, told me that as the money became due before his time, he had rather not mix it in his accounts, if it would be the same thing to me to receive it in England. He believed it a fair and just account, and as such would represent it at home, so that I should meet with no difficulty in getting it paid there. I agreed to his Lordship's proposal, and the warrant was laid aside.

I once proposed to his Lordship, that, if he would appoint, or advise Governor Denny to appoint, some persons of credit in Pennsylvania to examine the claims of the masters, and report to his Lordship at the end of the campaign, it would for the present make the minds of the sufferers more easy; and he could then order payment for such part as he should find right for him to pay, and we might endeavour to procure satisfaction elsewhere for the rest. His Lordship declined this, saying, that he knew not whom to appoint, being unacquainted with the people; that he did not care to trouble Governor Denny with it, of whom he must ask it as a favor; and besides, auditors, in the plantations, of accounts against the crown had in many instances been so partial and corrupt, that they had lost all credit. If he appointed auditors, they must be some of the officers of the army, who understood the affair; and at present they were engaged in other duties.

I will not trouble you with a detail of all I said to his Lordship on this affair, though I omitted nothing material that occurred to me; but I find he is for keeping the matter in suspense, without either promising payment or refusing to pay; perhaps till he re