To James Madison from John Gavino (Abstract), 12 March 1805
§ From John Gavino
12 March 1805, Gibraltar. “Still without the honour of your favours I beg leave to confirm my last dispatch under 13: Ulto.1 continued to 30th: ditto, by which you will have seen the detention of the Brig dispatch of Boston Capn: Brown bound for Leghorn from said Port with a Cargo of different articles, and the manner in which they were conducting the business. I also informed you of the restoration of Publick health on this Rock, which still continues. As to the Dispatch they at last Munishond2 her for Tryal, and after the Partys were heard, the Judge Decreed the Ship & Cargo to be released, and each party to pay their Charges. I have advised Capn: Brown to enter his Sute for detention and damages.
“I this day received a Letter from Mr. Mountford our Charge at Algeirs of which agreeable to his request I have the honour of inclosing you a Copy for the information of our Government.3
“The Spanish Gun Boats at Alguesiras have increased in Number, there now are about Twelve, they begin to Haras Nutrals Vessels going from or coming to this Port, much in the former way.”
RC (DNA: RG 59, CD, Gibraltar, vol. 3); enclosure (DNA: RG 59, CD, Algiers, vol. 7, pt. 1). RC 2 pp.; docketed by Wagner as received 18 May. For enclosure, see n. 3.
1. See Gavino to JM, 13 Jan. 1805, , 8:472–73.
2. Monition (civil and maritime law): “a summons to appear in court as a defendant or to answer contempt charges” (Black’s Law Dictionary [9th ed.], 1097).
3. The enclosure (3 pp.; docketed by Wagner as received 18 May) is a copy of Timothy Mountford to Gavino, 1 Feb. 1805, informing him that Mountford had delivered the cargo of the William and Mary “to the Regency” and received receipts for it, that Great Britain had settled its differences with Algiers, and that the new British consul general had arrived. Mountford also stated that on 20 Feb. the dey had demanded that the United States supply him with a seventy-four-gun ship for which he would pay on delivery and that he had discouraged the dey by telling him how much building such a ship in the United States would cost and why. Mountford asked Gavino to send copies of his letter to Tobias Lear and JM.