destined to the eastward, I suppose for Bona or Tunis, where I hope they will meet one of our frigates. It seems now to be reduced to a certainty, that there is but those two Tripoline corsairs at sea."

COMMUNICATIONS FROM MOROCCO. ACCOMPANYING THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE OF DEC. 15, 1802.

Extracts of Letters from James Simpson, Esq. Consul of the United States, for Morocco, resident at Tangier, to the Secretary of State. From No. 35. Tangier, Jan. 8, 1802.

AT this time, Muley Soliman has not a single vessel of war afloat; at Salle two frigates of about twenty guns are building, and may probably be launched next spring, but he is in want of many stores for them ere they can be sent to sea. At Tetuan, they have lately patched up an old half galley, to carry two bow guus and fifty men, but, if I am to judge from her appearance last May, she is scarce fit to go to sea. This is all the navy.

"When Muley Soliman requested I would procure for his use the mentioned one hundred gun carriages, he particularly mentioned they would be paid for on delivery at this port, as advised in No. 33. I was in hopes Mr. Bulkeley might have been able to contract for them, payable in that way, but he acquainted me they must be paid for in Lisbon, and that he judged they might cost about three hundred and twenty mill rees each. Highly desirous of gratifying his majesty, and having no other means of providing for payment of these carriages, I proposed drawing for the sum, that might be required on account of my salary; this, I trust, at your side, will be admitted as a proof, that nothing in my power to do on this occasion has been wanting, notwithstanding what the emperor and his ministers may suppose. Should government think well of making the emperor of Morocco a present at this time, as a fresh proof of the friendship of the United States, (in the event of his continuing the peace uninterrupted, as I trust will be the case) these

carriages in my opinion, would be more acceptable to him than any thing else; in that case it will be necessary to give Mr. Bulkeley directions respecting the payment of them. Should this measure be determined on, I would with due submission beg leave to recommend a letter being sent by the President to the emperor on the occasion; especially as since recognition of the treaty in 1796, and his letter of the 18th August, that year, no direct communication whatever has been made to his majesty on the part of the United States.

"The Tripoline ambassador or messenger came from thence so long ago, was permitted on Saturday last to proceed for Fez to meet the emperor. This man's business in this country is not precisely known, but will soon be, after he may have an interview with Muley Soliman. "On Monday the 14th ult. the bashaw sent for me, and after making his secretary and other attendants retire, he told me Muley Soliman was much displeased at my not having obtained for him the gun carriages he had commissioned, adding that the reasons I had alleged in my last letter to the emperor on the subject, were by no means satisfactory, as they appeared to him to be merely excuses. Conscious that I had said nothing but what Mr. Bulkeley had written me, on the part of the carpenter at Lisbon, who had offered to contract to make these carriages, I felt perfectly easy on the occasion; and endeavoured to convince the bashaw that the motive alleged for his majesty's displeasure was groundless, of which he at least seemed to be satisfied. He then said he was also instructed by his majesty, to demand whether I was authorized to make him presents of moment from time to time. I answered, that by the treaty made between Sidy Mahomet and the United States of America, and confirmed by Muley Soliman, no stipulation whatever was made for my government making presents at any stated periods, of consequence that I was without any instructions on that subject.

The bashaw then told me, Muley Soliman looked upon the Americans as no better friends to him than the Dutch, and that I must consider myself in the same situation as their consul was at that day. Fully satisfied that the government of the United States had given the most ample and unequivocal proofs of friendship to Muley

Soliman, I readily saw that this intimation must proceed either from errour, or that it was a prelude to his majesty's making another attempt to get quit of the treaty of 1786, and obtain presents at stipulated periods. On this occasion I beg to refer you to the several letters I had the honour of addressing the Department of State, from Rhabat, between the 15th July and 18th August, 1795, and to No. 55 of my Gibraltar correspondence, dated 24th September same year. By these you will see a strong attempt to effect this was at that time made, but that I had the happiness to overcome it, and obtain a recognition of that treaty, under well founded motives in appearance for believing Muley Soliman granted it from a full conviction of its being incumbent on him to do so. Bashaw Hackmawy having stated the American and Batavian governments as standing in the same predicament, in relation to this country, I did not allow him to quit that ground, until I had given him an ample detail of the very early attention the United States paid Muley Soliman, urging that in the choice of the articles chiefly composing their first present, they had given the strongest proof possible of the part they took in his majesty's concerns at that interesting moment, and of their desire that he should overcome the opposition then actually making against his succession. It does not appear necessary to trouble you with all the other arguments at this interview, only to say that, having desired another, the bashaw appointed the 16th in the evening. We accordingly met and I laid before him in Arabic, a translation of the treaty of 1786, with a copy of the emperor's letter, of 18th August, 1795, to the President, confirming it; also lists of the first and second presents I delivered in the name of the United States to Muley Soliman, at Rhabat in 1795, and of that I had also the honour of delivering at Mequinez 1798, on the occasion of showing his majesty my commission as consul; he perused all these papers with attention, and assured me as in holding these conferences in private, he had given me a proof of his friendship, so I might depend upon experiencing a continuance thereof, and that he would report to his majesty on the occasion. At this second interview not a syllable was said on my retiring from the country, neither have I to this hour heard any more on the subject."

From No. 37. Tangier, February 20, 1802.

"I AM happy in saying that up to the present hour, I have not heard a syllable farther, relative to bashaw Hackmawy's communications of 14th December; from which I draw a very favourable conclusion.

"The Tripoline went to the emperor as ambassador, solicited some cargoes of wheat, and is gone to Rhabat with permission to load; but he certainly will not find vessels to charter whilst Tripoli continues blockaded. The emperor having also been solicited to give his assistance towards getting the Tripoline brig, which lays at Gibraltar, sent home, consented to give a crew and provisions for that purpose. A few days ago the governour solicited from the Swedish consul and myself, in his majesty's name, passports for her, which having convinced him it was not in our power to grant, under the actual situation of Tripoli, it was agreed we should write admiral Siderstrom and commodore Dale, on the subject, which has been done.”

From No. 38. March 19, 1802.

"I CONFIRM that Muley Soliman has agreed to allow wheat to be sent from his country to Tripoli; but I should think it will be next to an impossibility for them to find vessels to charter for that voyage, whilst that port is so notoriously known to be blockaded; whatever may be done in this particular, at any of the emperor's ports, I shall take care to advise the commanders of the frigates on this station of.”

From No. 39. May 13, 1802.

"YESTERDAY I had certain intelligence of the governour of Rhabat having received his majesty's orders on the 6th inst. for sending a schooner to Darelbeyda immediately to load wheat for Tripoli.

"On the 2d instant the two frigates were launched at Rhabat. I am assured they are pierced for 26 guns each on the main deck; if so they must be much crowded, for no ship of a suitable length, and draft of water for that

force can enter any of the ports of this empire. Nothing that I yet know of has been done towards obtaining the small cruisers it was said his majesty intended to station at this port."

From No. 40. June 5, 1802.

"I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith the copy of No. 39, also a translation of the minister's answer to the letter written him on the 25th April by the Swedish consul and myself, on the subject of his majesty's desire of sending wheat to Tripoli, by which you will see he submits the propriety of that measure to the letter of the treaties of Sweden and the United States, with this country. Unfortunately neither make any provision for such a case, nor are blockaded ports mentioned in them. Hitherto none of the shipments have taken place.

"Sunday last the governour sent for Mr. Wyk and me to show us a letter from his majesty, desiring to know if we were yet authorized to grant passports for that wheat and the Tripoline ship laying at Gibraltar, which of course was answered in the negative.

"It did appear he had been instructed to treat with us upon the subject, in the precise terms of the minister's letter, we however did not fail to repeat to him that all sort of intercourse by sea with blockaded ports was pointedly opposite to the law of nations and common usage at this day. This conference was held in the presence of the commodore of the Tripoline ship, and one of their ambassador's secretaries, who brought the letter from his majesty."

Translation of a Letter from Sidy Mahomet Ben Absalem Selawey.

"PRAISE is due to God alone-There is no power or strength but in God.

"To the consuls, Peter Wyk and Simpson-health. "Your letter reached the high presence of our master (whom God preserve) and I read it to him, also what you say on subject of a passport, for the Tripoline ambassador.