Natchez April 24^th 1797 Sir, On the 1^st Instant I arrived here after a safe tho very unpleasant journey, and on my way seen on the 19 ult. from the Chickasaw Bluffs [undecipherable] the Catholick [undecipherable] looks after carrying off whatever might be useful as erecting a Garrison which they had in store [undecipherable] on the opposite bank of the Mississippi I set fire to and consumed the remainder. From the conduct of the Officers here and information I was collect from the Capital, his Catholick Majesty does not intend to execute the Treaty on his part at lest that he is waiting till the French Republic shall pronounce itself on the officers necessary for extending the line are now here. Mr Powers [undecipherable] Secretary yet the Survey is [undecipherable: probable reading "provisional"] and some troops coming up [undecipherable] the officers [undecipherable] the citizens of the US by selling them [undecipherable] as [undecipherable] as an escort for the Commissioners but why bring them forty or fifty [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to doing a service to the US is [undecipherable] [undecipherable] that done the whole [undecipherable] of the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [Address panel:] [by G[undecipherable]] [at Nashville 3] [Philadelphia] [Secretary of War] [James McHenry Esquire] [The Honorable] [undecipherable] [Endorsement:] [M. Natchez] [20 May 1797] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable]