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United States; and I make no doubt that they will reciprocate the benevolent orders you have given your Consuls on the Barbary coast.

With perfect consideration

Your most obedient and

most humble Servant,

WILLIAM EATON.

To the honorable Members af the Board
relating to the States on the Barbary coast.

To MR. MADISON.

Copenhagen.

Tunis, December 12th, 1801.

I HAVE the honor to inform you that the Peace and Plenty, Capt. Richard Woods, under the convoy of the George Washington, arrived here on the evening of the first instant. She has already delivered her powder, (which, although somewhat damaged, has passed, with a bribe, to the surveyor,) and a small quantity of her plank. The rest of her cargo, so far as I have been able to examine it, appears in good order, and will be delivered, it is hoped, within her lay days. I have not the smallest doubt but that it will be well accepted.

EXTRACT, to DOCTOR WILLIAM TURNER, of the UNITED STATES NAVY, at TUNIS.

December 13th, 1801.

THE invalid state of my health compels me to take a short voyage at sea to try the efficacy of change of air and climate and the George Washington, Capt. Shaw, offering me a passage to Leghorn, I have obtained the consent of this Bey that the affairs of the United States shall be conducted by you during my absence, and I have resolved to profit of this occasion to go thither: some instructions therefore to assist your agency seem not only proper but necessary; &c.

TO MR. MAdison.

Tunis, Dec. 13th, 1801.

ON the morning of the 3d Nov. I received a message from Sidi Mahomet Bashaw, the exile from Tripoli, informing me that the usurper, his brother, had addressed the Dey of Algiers and begged his mediation to bring about a reconciliation with the American government; and expressed great solicitude to know, whether, in my opinion, the Americans would admit such an intervention? I did not hesitate to give it as my opinion, that my government, having been once deceived by that Dey, would now seek to establish their peace on a surer base. He then desired to be advised whether he might place any reliance on the operations of the Ameri cans in his behalf. I recommended to him patience and silence; at the same time gave him leave to entertain the hope (may it not he illusive) that the next summer's operations would favor his views.

To MR. MADISON.

Leghorn, Feb. 22d, 1802. INFORMATION from Tripoli up to

9th January, states that no captures had been made. The Bashaw is sending away his corsaires to different ports in the Morea for fear of assault from the Americans. Discontentment in his interior has arisen to insurrection. Famine distresses his capital; and he is destitute of resources. He has actually made overtures of reconciliation to his brother at Tunis. I shall defeat this project if I arrive at my post in season shall depart hence in three days: have waited hitherto for a passage.

To MR. MADISON.

Tunis, March 18th, 1802.

ON arriving at Tunis I find Sidi Mahomet Bashaw yielding to his brother's instances, and on the point of departing for Derne, a province of Tripoli, the government of which is promised him ; for which purpose he begged my passport. I not only refused it, but told him very candidly that if he departed we must consider him in the light of an enemy, and that, instead of my influence to assist his passage to the kingdom of Tripoli, I should give it to have him and his retinue carried prisoners of war to the United States; but if he would adhere to his former arrangements I did not doubt but that before the expiration of four months he might be offered to his people by an American squadron. I tell him the sole object of his brother is to cut his throat. He is sufficiently alarmed and too much distressed, this Bey having refused him any further supplies of provisions. He proposes going to Malta and waiting the issue there. I will only consent to his going to Leghorn or Sardinia. If he departs on other terms I shall send an armed ship after him, and, if possible, carry him and retinue to some Italian port.

To MR. CATHCART.

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Tunis, April 26th, 1802.

AT Bardo last Wednesday, mutually accusing each other of unaccommoding dispositions, the altercation grew so warm that the Bey ordered me to quit the court, and hold myself in readiness to embark in the first ship of war of my own country which should arrive in port. I turned short on my heels; came to my office; and forbade my secretary filling any more passports for Tunissian cruisers. This prohibition was immediately_reported to the Bey; and had the effect aimed at. The same even

:

ing his commercial agent come to my house and begged, in God's name, that I would countermand that order said it was not the intention of the Bey to provoke a war by sending me away, but rather to obtain another Consul more capable of cherishing peace than myself. I replied, that I should not condescend to consider the Bey's objects nor views in offering an affront to my government in the person of their agent. He had taken his position: I had taken mine, which I should hold till he retracted his. Saturday morning I went to Bardo on the invitation of the Bey. The first motion was to resolve the past into oblivion; of course an act of mutual amnesty was passed. We then discussed the relative advantages of peace and war. The result was, as concluded by this court, " That, though they could not pretend to the ability of fighting our ships of war, we could not do them any hurt: they would lay up their large cruisers, and send out their small ones to vex our commerce. And, said the Minister, though a fly in a man's throat cannot kill him, it will make him vomit. Yet they should always be willing to maintain the peace with the Americans on the same footing as the other small Christian nations, but they must have a Consul with less fantasia, and more friendly to the Barbary interests." I stated that I daily expected permission to return to my country, and to be succeeded by Mr. Cathcart, my colleague at Tripoli. The Bey expressed astonishment: asked if I recollected what he said last year to this proposition; and repeated that you should never come into his country on any pretext whatever; even if you were a good man it would be improper, after having made war with Tripoli.-But, embroglione, (troublesome, litigious, trifler) as he knew you to be, his desire of peace alone would exclude you from his court and kingdom.

TO MR. MADISON.

Tunis, May 25th, 1802.

YESTERDAY I received a note from the Bey's Prime Minister, demanding an interview. I rendered myself at the palace, tó encounter, as I supposed, new perplexities; but, on passing the usual ceremony with the Bey, I discovered on his countenance an unasual air of complaisance. He signifi. ed to me that, after uniting a little, I should be informed of the object of calling me to the palace. Accordingly, in about an hour after, I accompanied the Minister with the commercial Agent of the Regency into a private chamber; where, after a great deal of circumlocution, he came to the subject in view; which was nothing more nor less than a proposition of peace on the part of the Bashaw of Tripoli, through the mediation and under the guarantee of the Bey of Tunis. Here follows the substance of our conference.

66

"Have you done any thing" said the Minister, on the subject of a peace with Tripoli ?” Nothing.

"You are carrying on a war, at so great a distance, at very great expense, without a prospect of gaining any thing."

That we are very sensible of.

"Would you be willing to negociate a peace with Tripoli ?"

Are you authorized to propose this question? "I am."

Well, then I tell you very frankly, we have no inducements whatever to desire a war with any nation on earth; much less with that which is now the subject of it. If Tripoli should make suitable retractions, she may think of peace. But, even then, we should think it hazardous to treat with the reigning. Bashaw after having seen such flagrant violations of his faith.

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