In the spring of 1806, France was undoubtedly anxious
to secure a settlement of the Spanish-American difficulties
and arrange a sale of the Floridas. Spain was in most
desperate financial straits. Bowdoin was approached un-
officially by French officers desiring to arrange a cession
of those territories to the United States for six million dol-
lars. Their intimations induced him to believe they might
even be secured for four million. Spain owed subsidies to



176 The Purchase of Florida

Napoleon and this amount must soon find its way to Paris,
But she stubbornly refused to contribute more to the French
war chest. Further, the United States wished to secure
the Floridas either by way of satisfaction for spoliation
claims or by exchange rather than by purchase. Thus the
effort of Napoleon to continue negotiations at Paris came
to naught.
