Folio 250: Stormont to Weymouth. He has intelligence, which may not be accurate,...

Folio 250: Stormont to Weymouth. He has intelligence, which may not be accurate, of considerable secret arming at Brest. Orders have been given to the commissaire de vivres to prepare for victualling a fleet at the rate of 8,000 rations a day. On a reckoning of oneship at 500 men, this would suffice for a fleet of 16. He has kept this unconfirmed report secret so as not to give any encouragement to the American rebels. He speaks of the difficulty of his own position. He does not wish to be alarmist nor to be lulled into credulity by the friendliness of the French ministers. He will report whatever he hears, with his own opinion of its reliability. Weymouth can check with his own secret channels. He believes that, if this arming takes place, it will be at the instigation of Spain, not in order to make an unprovoked attack on Britain but to awe Portugal into compliance with the demands of Spain.

Date and place: 1775 Dec 20 Paris.