JET. 29.] MISSION TO PORTUGAL. 361 



possible. Does Morland believe, for example, that 

 the officer alluded to in my letter from Oporto, would 

 give us receipt for the money he might get to fit him. 

 out for going to Bayonne ? Where this can be done 

 you may believe it shall ; but I can give but very 

 slender hopes of vouchers being fully or in a consider- 

 able degree proportioned to the sums expended. Per- 

 haps he does not allude to receipts, but to some other 

 means of proving our expenses : if so, I beg to be 

 informed of it, with as little delay as possible. Of 

 course you will permit me to keep everything on my 

 own private credit until we settle what those vouchers 

 are ; for I could just as soon obtain a receipt from 

 every spy I bribed, as I could think of letting the 

 expenditure I take credit for be transferred from my 

 account while there existed a doubt as to the way 

 of proving it. I shall only add, that the expenses 

 alluded to are very small in comparison of what I 

 find Lord Strangford gives his people. What made 

 him give thirty-five doubloons to a man for going to 

 Badajos, and remaining out altogether nine days? 

 When I made many words about this extravagant 

 payment (which the office has allowed), he said his 

 man had the order of Christ : very likely ; but what 

 is the use of employing the worthy persons who 

 bear that order in such service 1 I have estimated 

 the average expense of our men who would have 

 been sent upon that service, and I find that they 

 would have received just the sixth part of the above 

 sum. The very best servant we have has four tes- 



