In
the two immediately preceding posts I transcribed two 1790 letters from James
Mario Matra, British Consul at Tangier, addressed to General Charles O’Hara in
Gibraltar. This third letter to the same recipient is dated 1789 when the previous Sultan or Emperor,
Sidi Muhammad ibn Abdallah, was still alive and in power.
What
strikes me most is that this letter on its own, and even more so when taken
with the two previous ones, shows Matra doing a job which looks more like that
of an ambassador or diplomat than that of a consul who would often be mainly concerned
with trade matters and the needs of citizens of the consul’s own country. Here
it is clear that Matra has direct access to the Emperor and other governing
figures and is looking to solve a diplomatic problem the nature of which is not
entirely clear. The Sultan wants one of his ships repaired at Gibraltar (and,
presumably, at considerable British expense) but Matra is prevaricating and at
the same time does not wish to cause offence.
Three references in the letter can be clarified:
“Layton’s affair” involved the
British merchant Layton out hunting one day who got into an altercation with local
people over one of his dogs chasing a calf in the course of which – but seemingly
by accident – he knocked out two teeth of a local woman. Retribution was sought
and the Sultan, the Sidi Muhammad ibn Abdallah of this letter, ordered two of
Layton’s teeth to be extracted. But by way of compensation, he awarded Layton a
trading privilege.
The
reconciliation with a son referenced at
the end of the letter was with his eldest son Mulay Ali, governor of Fez, who had been resisting orders from his father to impose additional taxes on the Jewish population of
Fez, arguing that they were already impoverished. The dispute was settled by
mediation but the relief afforded the Jews of Fez was short-lived: when the
Sultan died another son, Mulay al-Yazid, seized power and launched new and bloody persecutions
of the Jewish population.
"young Barrington" refers to George Barrington, the 18th century's "King of Pickpockets" who has a Wikipedia page.
The clarification of those three things was enabled by AI results.
Transcription
Addressed
to: No outer wrapper but note bottom left of letter in Matra’s hand: General
[Charles] O’Hara &c &c &c [Gibraltar]
Datelined:
Tangiers 2 August 1789
Docketing
note in another hand: 1789 2d Augst Tangier [in another ink “12” as if a serial
number]
Sir
I
am honoured with Your Letter of the 29 Ult acquainting me with the arrival of
Rais Hamaly [“Rais” used here to mean a Moroccan naval commander] and
the conversation he has had with You.
I
have been acquainted with the Emperors design of sending that ship to you,
since Feby. last, but have had her detained by various artifices, until the
Emperor sent a positive Order for her to go, and would not permit the Capt. any
more to come on shore.
Mr
Raleigh [John Raleigh, Secretary to the Governor of Gibraltar] can
inform you of my last arrangement with him but I have no official information
of it unless Layton’s [see introduction above] letter to me & Rt. [Robert] Anderson can be considered
as such, which by me they were not, & I refused to give an answer although
I sent the Letter home [to England].
He [the Emperor]knows very well that it is not in your power to refuse his Ship; he must
likewise know from what I have said to him & his Ministers, that there is
no hope that the King [George the Third] will depart from the
Declaration he was pleased to make last year “that whatever favour the Emperor
required, he must apply immediately to His Majesty for”. I therefore conclude
he is only in search of a pretext to show his ill will to Your Garrison and
that when he hears of the departure of his Frigate he will stop the
communication [between Morocco and Gibraltar]; for he is most sensibly
mortified, at not receiving an Answer to the Letter I sent home in Feby. & would
long before this have kept his word had not Laytons affair [see introduction
above] happened.
It
remains now to be decided whether considering the Emperors great age; the
opinion of Europe on disputes with this country, and the advantages of his
Provisions, it be, or not, worth while to parry this thrust, at the expence of
fifty or a hundred Guineas.
As
to repairing his ship, I do not think it will be done; at least I have reason
to believe that while Lord Sydney [Thomas Townshend, Home Secretary
until June 1789] was Secry. of State it would not, particularly if the
Emperor did not ask it properly; what Mr Grenvilles [William Grenville, Home
Secretary from June 1789] sentiments are I know not, as I have not yet
heard from him.
Should
you think it worth while to attempt any thing, I see but two ways – Keeping him
till you know Mr G’s [Grenville’s] sentiments is dangerous; from what I
have heard of her state, she may sink in the Bay, or what is as bad, He may two
months hence send out a direct refusal.
If
by an agreement with the Rais [the naval commander Hamaly], she
was properly surveyed, & he join in opinion that it was impossible to
repair her without a Dock; or that she could not float till proper stores
arrived that it was necessary for her to go to some Port immediately, &
that a ship must even escort her to Cadiz, I think it would do.
The
Rais may be prevailed on to agree to this, & I dare say in his report to
the Emperor, would mention how very ready You all were to please him had it
been possible. He has I think some Plan of his own, which he was to have
mentioned to me but he arrived late at night & was ordered out at daylight
next morning.
He
would rather be at Cadiz because the Corn junto [ association of corn merchants
in Cadiz who import from Morocco and need naval co-operation] pay him well;
our Bashaw [ variant of “Pasha” and referring here to the Governor of
Tangier, Mohammed ibn 'Abd al-Malik, a significant figure who travelled to
Vienna in 1783 to establish diplomatic relations with the Holy Roman Empire]
would report as favourably as possible, because he is ruined by the Emperor
& has no way of getting money but by selling his Cattle at Gibraltar.
If
any thing like what I have proposed be adopted You will probably have another
attempt in the winter when his remaining frigates return from the Westward. But
by then you may be well assured of the sentiments of the new Secretary of
State. Some resolutions on our part must be taken, we must either drub, or pay
this Man, unless we choose at once to abandon his Provisions [What is
supplied to him or what he supplies?], & preserve Peace without a
connection. His word or treaty, is on a par with the morality of young
Barrington [see introduction] but just at this time I would not
willingly quarrel, because we have eleven men among the Arabs whom I want to
get [informers he wants to protect?]
I
have not seen the Bashaw since the receipt of Your letter, for I have been
confined to my room more than a week, & am at present, so ill that it is a
pain to me to write. I am paying a heavy Tax for my winters journey.
The
Empeor (they say) has reconciled to his son [see Introduction for details],
to whom he has sent some handsome Presents. He is to reside at Fez [where he
was already Governor]. He has cut off all communication by Land with
Algiers, & orders any Caravans coming from thence to be confiscated, for
reasons which he reserves to himself.
The
Bashaw told me, when I last saw him, Orders were given to raise an Army of
45,000 men.
I
have the Honour to be Sir Your most Obedient Humble Servant J.M.Matra
Reference
Wikipedia: George Barrington
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