To James Madison from William Jarvis, 19 November 1806
From William Jarvis
Lisbon 19th. Novr. 1806
Sir
The foregoing of the 15th Ulto. went by the Brig Delight Captn Peirce via Philada.1—since which nothing of any visible importance has taken place as it regards the exterior relations of this Kingdom. What effect the event of the present Prussian War will have I will not pretend to say; but as the opinion I have already taken the liberty, on several occasions to offer, is founded on what I suppose to be the solid interest of France & Portugal, from my feeble view of the subject I still remain of the same opinion; which hitherto events have tended to confirm.2 About a fortnight since five Noblemen of the first families & several of less Note were banished to their Country Estates & to the provinces. The real cause is not generally known. Report however says that it was owing to some expressions of disrespect toward the Prince, in consequence of some difference which took place between him & the Princess owing to his having banished a Gentleman of her household about six or 8 months ago. This it is said caused a coolness between them till the Gentleman was recalled, & did occasion much conversation in the City about the time. But whether this was the real cause of their banishment, or it was owing to some Court intrigue, I will not pretend to det[e]rmine: but certain it is that about fifteen large & small were ordered to their Country Estates, or to the Provinces about a fortnight since. One would almost suppose that there was something in an European climate which disposed the mind & heart to intrigue & finesse, when so small a personage as myself should have been subject to so much of it. To which however I have only opposed a sedulous attention to my business, & a strict adherence to my duty as an Officer & a member of society; conceiving it quite sufficient to render abortive the machinations & Malice of persons whose characters ought to render them unworthy of Notice although at times their intrigues have assumed the appearance of seeming consequence by involving in their Vortex persons whose station in life & property have given them some consideration in society.
The discharge by Bica beginning, from the tempestuousness of the season, to bear heavy on grain loaded vessels, I have taken the liberty to make the inclosed representation to His Excellency Mr d’Araujo on the subject,3 but do not make any very sanguine calculations of succeeding as it is the interest of all the under health Officers to inforce it.
Inclosed is a copy of a letter relative to the death of the Duke de Lafoens, & answer given.4 He was a natural son of Don John the fi[f]th & was by him & his Court publicly acknowledged as his son. His Offices were many but the most distinguished was Generalissimo of the Portugueze land forces. The Conde de Villaverde has also died within about a week. He was Minister of the Interior & supposed to be much in the French interest. It is not known who will succeed him.
The Constitution is in complete order for sea. Captain Campbell intends to sail in a few days. Among other articles I have got an Anchor for her. The copy of my letter to the Visconde Anadie for it & his order go inclosed.5
You will perceive by several of the letters that I have Sir latterly assumed in my Official Notes the title of acting or officiating Charge d’Affaires in addition to that of Consul & sometimes Chargé d’Affaires. This I have done not from vanity or in compliance with my own inclination; but in compliance with what I concluded was the wish of this Government, from the Secretary of State constantly addressing me in this manner. So modest am I upon this occasion that I do not pretend to think it is owing to any particular merit of my own; but I imagine in compliance with the established Diplomatick etiquette that this Younger Government shall have at the Court of the elder a person of the same rank which the latter sends to the former; for that address was not so particularly made to me before Mr Rademaker6 went to the United states. Even then I did not assume it for some time conceiving it incompatible with my mercantile pursuits & plain manner of living, but finding that four other Consuls who were acting as Charge d’Affaires did not pretend to alter their stile of living on that account, (two of which by the bye are more economical, than my own) I have also given into it, and hope Sir it will not prove unsatisfactory; having in no instance made use of it but in my Official Correspondence with this Government.
At the dinner annually given by the Spanish Ambassador in honor of the Kings birth day, contrary to what, as well as I recollect, took place the last year, the Prince Regent was given as a toast by the Ambassador after the Nuncio had given the King of Spain. These were the only personages toasted. I did not know but these were intended as a sort of discountenance to the reports of the intended invasion of this Kingdom by Spain, all the Corps Diplomatick was there except the German Minister who is out of health and the English & Swedish Charge d’Affaires. With the most perfect Consideration I have the honor to be Sir Yr. Mo: Ob: servt.
Wm Jarvis
P.S. I had some doubts about going to the Ambassadors dinner on the differences existing between the two Countries but I afterwards considered that it would be improper to stay away whilst a Negotiation was depending. I forwarded a letter by Brig Rubicon Captn Knapp via Boston from Mr Erving & another by Ship Hannah Captn Hopkins, both about 20 Octr. and inclosed I forward another from the same Gentleman no other Vessel having sailed since.
RC and enclosures (DNA: RG 59, CD, Lisbon, vol. 3). RC and enclosures docketed by Wagner. For enclosures, see nn. 3–5.
2. For an example of Jarvis’s opinions, see Jarvis to JM, 27 Sept. 1806 (ibid., 346–48).
3. The Portuguese had placed a quarantine on U.S. vessels entering harbor at Lisbon but allowed “discharge by Bica,” in which crews unloaded grain onto smaller boats to bring the cargo into the harbor. One method was to bring a boat alongside the vessel containing the cargo, place a wooden spout—a bica—between them, and dump the grain through the spout onto the boat (Correio braziliense ou armazem literario 9 [1812]: 684). Jarvis enclosed a copy of his 18 November 1806 letter to António de Araújo de Azevedo (4 pp.) reiterating that the season of “epidemical disorders” had passed and arguing that the order to discharge grains by bica was thus unnecessary. Jarvis noted that the order absorbed all the profits from U.S. shippers’ cargo, thus deterring them from shipping to Portugal and in turn depriving Portuguese citizens of necessary grain. Jarvis further noted that in inclement weather, small boats could not go alongside larger vessels to receive the cargo, and when the transfers were possible, the grain was exposed to rain and seawater. He requested that the Portuguese government lift the discharge by bica requirement. He referenced the case of the Thomas Gordon from New York, which had spent twenty days under quarantine as a consequence of the bica requirement.
4. The enclosures are 1) a copy of Araújo to Jarvis, 11 Nov. 1806 (1 p.; in Portuguese), with English translation (1 p.), announcing an official period of mourning for the prince regent’s uncle for a month beginning on 11 November; and 2) a copy of Jarvis to Araújo, 13 Nov. 1806 (1 p.), acknowledging receipt of his notice, offering condolences, and confirming the U.S. government’s intention to “participate in the grief” with the prince regent.
5. The enclosures are 1) a copy of Jarvis to João Rodrigues de Sá e Mello Meneses e Souto Maior (viscount of Anadia), undated (1 p.), informing Anadia that the U.S. frigate Constitution had lost an anchor “in the Gale of last night”; unable to procure an anchor of the correct size elsewhere, Jarvis requested one from the Portuguese Royal Arsenal “with all convenient speed” and promised payment; and 2) a copy of Anadia to Januário António Lopes da Silva, 13 Nov. 1806 (1 p.; in Portuguese) with English translation (1 p.), ordering Lopes da Silva to “immediately” provide the necessary anchor from the Royal Arsenal and to coordinate payment with Jarvis.
6. José Rademaker served as a Portuguese agent in England between 1798 and 1805. At the beginning of 1805, he was reassigned as consul general and chargé d’affaires in the United States (Léon Bourdon, José Corrêa da Serra: Ambassadeur du Royaume-uni de Portugal et Brésil a Washington, 1816–1820 [Paris, 1975], 6 n. 16).