I had the pleasure of receiving on my return from the upper country your letter dated in August. I had not seen Brown¹ & had formed an opinion of the civil admiralty jurisdiction from the character of a case of piracy not from precedent A pirate being an enemy of the human race & at war with the civilized world I had considered a libel for the condemnation of his vessel as partaking rather of the character of a prize cause than of one belonging to the civil admiralty side of the court. But I bow to precedent.

Your favor enclosing the residue of the examination in the case of Fries I received upon my arrival at this place, the former having come to hand a few days sooner. I know not how to apologize to you for the trouble you have taken upon this occasion; I certainly should not have made the request which produced it, if I could have formed the slightest idea of the labor to which I was about to expose you. I beg you to accept my warmest thanks, and upon similar occasions or otherwise to command my services.