[undecipherable] [Chev. Yrujo [undecipherable] 1798] Substance of a conversation with the Chev. Yrujo at M^r Hamiltons— the 8 April 179[undecipherable] [undecipherable] drive [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] walk in M^r [undecipherable] [undecipherable] him if he had received any information from the Natchez, or notwithstanding the evacuation of the posts. he said he had not, but that he had expected to receive it daily, [undecipherable] it should announce it officially. A pacific letter had been received, but altho' it mentioned the evacuation as certain and was [undecipherable] going on at [undecipherable], yet not being addressed to him he could take no official notice of it. He seemed that he was happy in the opportunity my questions, and the occasion had given him to speak on some points that had caused him great uneasiness: he was soon to be married, and he did not see that he could introduce his Lady to M^r Adams without subjecting both him and her to a very unpleasant situation. he had always behaved with due respect to the President. he had gone from Boston to [undecipherable] to see him, he had attended his Levee with pleasure, and altho' he may have spoken his sentiments freely to him in conversation he was not sensible of having ever transgressed against decorum. he had entered into a diplomatic dispute with M^r Pickering, but but he did not feel nor had came into it any thing personal. What he had said, he considered himself bound to say as the minister of a court whose officers had been censured and the good faith of those govern- ment had been implicated. That he had thought an invasion of Louisiana had been projected and not sufficiently dis- countenanced by the American government, and had [undecipherable] on the occasion for his country in conformity with his impressions. That all these things had [undecipherable] displeasure, but that he had not intended by any of his representations any thing personal to the Secretary of State. That he [undecipherable] him [undecipherable] against the U.S. having respect to an invasion of his master's territory in person and were received by the President and invited to his table with the other ministers, while he had been overlooked & excluded from it. That he had left a card for M^r Wolcott, who had not returned the visit, and that M^r W. treated him coldly when they passed each on the street. That all this was very unpleasant, but what would it end in? He could state it to his court and that would induce it to treat M^r Humphreys more precisely as he was treated here. This by honor would do no good; but how could he or his court do otherwise? I observed that he must be sensible that the circumstances he had [undecipherable] lead him into wholly in the non-compliance with the treaty. That I hoped the cause would soon be removed. That at this time I would suggest to him as a [undecipherable] to suspend writing to his court. That I could assure him, the President & the gentlemen acting as heads of the departments of State had the sincerest desire to cultivate a good understanding with Spain. That the U.S. would always make the best neighbours Spain could have. That Spain ought to be sensible of this truth. That the U.S. did not, like some other powers, want to increase their boundaries, and that Spain would always find a friend in the U.S. so long as she pursued a line of conduct com- patible with her own interest. That the prosperity of the U.S. would but add to [undecipherable] neighbours that of the other powers. That if the French were to get Louisiana Spain might soon see them extend their power in such a manner over [N^o 17 22] his possessions on the continent as would totally change their government. That he knew, the U.S. were too strong to fear the neighbourhood of any nation whatever, a circumstance which gave us a claim to particular attention from Spain, to whom he must be sensible we had shown the utmost forbearance. I added respecting his supposed plan of an invasion, that for what I had said to him in the presence of the Secretary of State he ought to have been satisfied no invasion would have been permitted to have passed through our territory. I reiterated [undecipherable] then, that I hoped in a few weeks every thing would come right. That I expected every day to receive an account of the evacuation of the posts. That this news would be a great peace maker. He observed after this that he only wanted for a letter from the governor to enable him to announce it officially. He seemed to signify also in answer to my insinuation respecting a surrender of Louisiana to France that France had [undecipherable] and would not get it. That he had always thought the interest of Spain and the U.S. inseparably con- nected; that much intercourse of a commercial nature might grow out