— what is the situation of my mother in law and my two young sisters, — of my sister
Susan, of Wm Flinders, of my cousin Henny and her aged father and mother at
Spalding, — of thy good family and that of the Franklins. What joy it would be to
me to receive full information upon all these heads, with a particular account
from Standert! But I dare scarcely hope to receive that satisfaction here; the
only prospect I have is by the means of two gentlemen, named Desbassayns, who
went from hence to America twelve months since, and we are informed were
taken in going from America to France. They took charge of a letter for thee,
and I gave them a letter of recommendation in case of their being taken, as also
Standert's address. We are told that they were permitted to go to France in a
cartel, but that the vessel was not allowed to enter Morlaix: after returning
back to England twice, leave was obtained for them to land in Holland. As it
is probable that these gentlemen, from friendship to me and from the utility they
found in my letter of recommendation, will have seen Standert and perhaps
written to thee to make an offer of forwarding thy letters, it is possible that
the first ship from France may bring me a proof of thy affection, with some ac-
count of what I desire so much to know. What a happy day would such a
receipt furnish me! It would be such an one as I have seen but few for many years.
      The brother of the two gentlemen above mentioned, lately married the young-
est of the Misses D'Arifat, and is a worthy and estimable man; his brothers
are prob scarcely less so, but I have not had so much intimacy with them.
Madame D'Arifat proposes making a voyage to the island Bourbon with her family,
to be present at her daughter's lying-in of her first child: the father has promised
me, should it be a man child, that he shall bear my name; and he proposes
sending him one day to England to be educated under my direction: the family
Desbassayns is numerous, and one of the richest in the two islands. Should this
voyage to Bourbon take place, I shall suffer a great loss in my society for some
months, unless orders from France should, in the mean time, set me in the road
to Europe; in which case my regrets in the Isle of France will give place to