of the Council of Safety, 1776. 385

house able to furnish you with the foregoing articles, and that
we shall take upon us the risk and danger of putting them on
board, and to let your vessells go out of our port freely; them
are powers that we are trusted with and which we have in
hands, not any other house in France shall be able to give
you the like advantages, and furnish you with such amunition,
which we receive directly from the manufactories of the King.

We are able to furnish you also with all kinds of broad
cloths, fit for cloathing of soldiers (we have sent a quantity to
Messrs. Browns of Providence) we have them of all colours,
good quality and well assorted for the price of 5, 6 & 7 livers
p^r ell, but the following colours of the same quality will be
somewhat higher, such as scarlet, prussian blue, yellow and
green; and further we are able to furnish you with such
cloths as will be desired, likewise with all kinds of blankets
from 3, 4, 5, 6 a 7 livers p^r piece, also linens for shirting the
Troops from 30 @ 50 souce pr ell. We shall be able gentle-
men to furnish you in general with every kinds of merchandize
of the first quality and at the most reasonable rates; and you
may assure yourselves that we shall dispatch immediately
every vessell you shall think proper to address us, whether
the Cargo is sold or not.

We have established our house in this place, thinking it the
safest and most convenient port in France for the American
trade, and we have entered in partnership with one of the
richest and first houses for business in Nantes, the name is
J. Gruel, Merch^t upon Isle feydeau, therefore in addressing
your vessels to that house, by giving us immediate notice will
be the same as if addressed directly to us, making but one
and the same house for all the trade we have with North
America.

In case you should think of sending a vessel to Bordeaux,
we take the liberty of recommending to you the house of
Mess^rs Recule de Bamarain & Raimbeaux, being one of the
most principal houses there and who we think will do your
business better than any other can do.

We have in our house and at the head of our aftairs that we
transact with North America, M^r Wilt, a young man from
Philadelphia, who holds our correspondence in English, there-
fore if you should have any affairs particular or secret to trans-
act or negociate, you may be assured of the order and discres-
sion that reighns in our house

We have the honnour to be in the meantime with our most
sincere respects

Your most obed^t & Mo: Hble Servts,
Pliarne Penet & Co.