William Jarvis to Thomas Jefferson, 4 August 1810
From William Jarvis
Lisbon 4 August 1810
Respected sir
I have the honor to acquaint you that the Junta of Etremadura having lately determined on selling the several Cabannas of Merino sheep which they had confiscated; I was enabled to purchase out of them one thousand Paular & one thousand Aguirres sheep. The Paular’s were the Prince of Peace’s Cabanna, and are esteemed one of the finest Cabannas in Spain, in point of form, size, and fineness & weight of fleece. The Aguirres are a much smaller breed, but are reputed not to be excelled in Spain for the fineness of their fleece. Some of each of those Cabannes I have shipped on board the schooner Grey-hound—Captn Baxter, now bound to Richmond;—This has afforded me so handsome an opportunity of fulfilling a promise I formerly made to you, that I could not forego the opportunity, and I have taken the liberty to desire the Collector of the District of Richmond to select a paular & an Aguirres ewe from the shipment and to hold them subject to your orders; which pair of ewes, I hope sir you will do me the favour to accept. I have directed the Collector to hold them subject to your instructions.
The french have blockaded Almeida, have entered Penhel, where the British were a few days since, the English falling back on their positions & the head quarters are at Celorico. Considerable alarm begins now to be for the safety of the Country.
A slight indisposition & press of business prevents my adding any thing more than the assurances of my great veneration & respect—and of my remaining
Wm Jarvis
RC (DLC); at foot of text: “Thos Jefferson Esquire”; endorsed by TJ as received 27 Sept. 1810 and so recorded in SJL.
Index Entries
- Almeida, Portugal; French forces besiege search
- Baxter, Capt. (schoonerGreyhound) search
- France; military operations in Spain and Portugal search
- Gibbon, James; as collector at Richmond search
- Godoy, Manuel de search
- Great Britain; military operations of in Spain and Portugal search
- Greyhound (schooner) search
- Jarvis, William; and merino sheep search
- Jarvis, William; letters from search
- merino sheep; Aguirre breed search
- merino sheep; Paular breed search
- merino sheep; procurement from Spain search
- Portugal; military operations in search
- Spain; merino sheep and wool from search