A. Sixty-one thousand, five hundred fifty-two miles; which is nine thousand, five hundred seventy-two miles more than twice round the whole circumference of the earth.

Q. 6. Suppose the interest of this debt to be three and a half per cent per annum, what does the whole annual interest amount to?

A. Six millions, seven hundred and seventy thousand pounds.

Q. 7. How doth government raise this interest annually?

A. By taxing those who lent the principal, and others.

Q. 8. When will government be able to pay the principal?

A. When there is more money in England's treasury than there is in all Europe.

Q. 9. And when will that be?

PASSPORTS

FOR MORAVIAN VESSELS, AND FOR CAPTAIN COOK.

In the time of the American war, the Moravian Society in England sent annually a vessel to their missionaries on the coast of Labrador. The Secretary of the Society, Mr. Hutton, applied to Dr. Franklin, then American minister in France, for a passport securing protection to that vessel against American cruisers. It was readily granted, and renewed every year during the war.

When Captain Cook was expected soon to return from his last voyage round the world, Dr. Franklin issued a passport of a similar kind for protecting his vessel, in case it should be met by American cruisers. This act was afterwards properly recognised. "When Cook's Voyage was printed," says W. T. Franklin, “the Aamiralty Board sent a copy of the work in three volumes quarto to Dr. Franklin, accompanied with the elegant collection of plates, and a very polite letter from Lord Howe, signifying that the present was made with the King's express approbation."

One of the gold medals, struck by the Royal Society in honor of Captain Cook, was likewise sent to Dr. Franklin. In the Life of Captain Cook, by Dr. Kippis, the author stated, that Congress disapproved and reversed the orders of Dr. Franklin; but Dr. Kippis became afterwards convinced of the error of this statement, and publicly acknowledged it.-EDITOR.

I. PASSPORT FOR A MORAVIAN VESSEL.

To all Captains and Commanders of Vessels of War, Privateers, and Letters of Marque, belonging to the United States of America.

Gentlemen,

The religious society commonly called the Moravian Brethren, having established a mission on the coast of Labrador, for the conversion of the savages there to

the Christian religion, which has already had very good effects in turning them from their ancient practices of surprising, plundering, and murdering such white people, Americans and Europeans, as, for the purposes of trade or fishery, happened to come on that coast; and persuading them to lead a life of honest industry, and to treat strangers with humanity and kindness; and it being necessary for the support of this useful mission, that a small vessel should go thither every year to furnish supplies and necessaries for the missionaries and their converts; which vessel for the present year is a

of about seventy-five tons, called the

whereof is master Captain

This is to request you, that, if the said vessel should happen to fall into your hands, you would not suffer her to be plundered, or hindered in her voyage, but on the contrary afford her any assistance she may stand in need of; wherein I am confident your conduct will be approved by the Congress and your owners. Given at Passy, near Paris, this

day of

B. FRANKLIN,

Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States of America at the Court of France.

P. S. The same request is respectfully made to the commanders of armed vessels belonging to France and Spain, friends of the said United States.

B. FRANKLIN.

II. PASSPORT FOR CAPTAIN COOK.

To all Captains and Commanders of armed Ships acting by Commission from the Congress of the United States of America, now in war with Great Britain.

Gentlemen,

A ship having been fitted out from England before the commencement of this war, to make discoveries of

new countries in unknown seas, under the conduct of that most celebrated navigator, Captain Cook; an undertaking truly laudable in itself, as the increase of geographical knowledge facilitates the communication between distant nations, in the exchange of useful products and manufactures, and the extension of arts, whereby the common enjoyments of human life are multiplied and augmented, and science of other kinds. increased to the benefit of mankind in general; this is, therefore, most earnestly to recommend to every one of you, that, in case the said ship, which is now expected to be soon in the European seas on her return, should happen to fall into your hands, you would not consider her as an enemy, nor suffer any plunder to be made of the effects contained in her, nor obstruct her immediate return to England, by detaining her or sending her into any other part of Europe or to America, but that you would treat the said Captain Cook and his people with all civility and kindness, affording them, as common friends to mankind, all the assistance in your power, which they may happen to stand in need of. In so doing you will not only gratify the generosity of your own dispositions, but there is no doubt of your obtaining the approbation of the Congress, and your other American owners. I have the honor to be, Gentlemen, your most obedient humble servant. Given at Passy, near Paris, this 10th day of March, 1779.

B. FRANKLIN,

Minister Plenipotentiary from the Congress of the
United States to the Court of France.

SUPPLEMENT

TO THE

BOSTON INDEPENDENT CHRONICLE.

Notwithstanding Dr. Franklin's various and important occupations, while minister plenipotentiary in Paris, he occasionally amused himself in composing and printing, by means of a small set of types, and a press he had in his house, several of his light essays, bagatelles, or jeux d'esprit, written chiefly for the amusement of his intimate friends. Among these were the following, printed on a half-sheet of coarse paper, so as to imitate, as much as possible, a portion of a Boston newspaper. The repeated accounts received from America of the horribly cruel manner in which the Indian allies of Great Britain prosecuted the war against the peaceable inhabitants of the United States, murdering defenceless farmers, with their wives and children, and carrying off their scalps for the reward promised in proportion to the number, (said already to have amounted to two thousand,) was the foundation of the first fictitious article in this pretended "Supplement to the Boston Independent Chronicle."

The other article is a jeu d'esprit of a gayer turn, originating from a memorial of the British ambassador, Sir Joseph Yorke, reclaiming the King's ships, the Serapis and Countess of Scarborough, prizes carried into Holland by the American squadron under Commodore Jones; whom Sir Joseph in his memorial designated "the pirate, Paul Jones of Scotland, a rebel subject, and a criminal of the state."

The deception intended by this supposed "SUPPLEMENT," (which was very accurately imitated with respect to printing, paper, the insertion of advertisements, &c.,) was, that, by transmitting it to England, it might actually be taken for what it purported to be. W. T. F.

It is not known, however, that any other use was ever made of the paper, than merely to amuse the author and his private friends