The National Intelligencer And Washington Advertiser

Extract of a letter from a gentleman in Bordeaux, to his friend in Boston, dated June 29.

Since the declaration of war we have had much trouble with American seamen; many left their vessels to enter on board French privateers. The Consul was determined to prevent such conduct, and applied to the officers of government, to know if it was allowed to captains of privateers to entice seamen from their respective vessels, by making large offers. They assured the Consul that it was not allowed, and that they would lend their assistance in preventing such conduct. The Commissary of Marine very readily gave his aid, and not only threatened the captains with imprisonment, but stopped, at the Consul's request, the Blonde, a French privateer, (formerly the America of Salem,) for a week, until the captain had delivered to the Consul 16 American seamen he had shipped, who are now in prison, and will be sent home, I believe, to take their trial as an example. Fifty other American seamen, who were about entering on board corsairs, were arrested by the Commissary of Police by the Consul's request, and, after a few days confinement, were distributed on board the different American vessels, and are not allowed to come on shore. Without these severe steps not an American vessel would have had a man to go to sea with; and had the same measures been pursued here the last war, so many of our seamen would not have fallen into the hands of the British.