Lisbon, August 24^th 1797 Dear Sir I had the pleasure of writing you a few lines on the 20^th, the day of our arrival, by a Vessel bound to Alexandria, which was under sail, immediately after we anchored in the Tagus. This goes by a Vessel bound from St Ubes to Philad^a. — We landed here on the 21^st & on the next day, accompanied by M^r Bulkeley, Jun^r, I waited on M^r Pinto, the Secretary of State, was very politely received, & informed that he would make my arrival known to the Prince, & notify me on what day it would suit his Highness to receive my Credentials. As the Secretary was not in good health, & the Prince resides at some distance from Town, it will be some day next week before I am presented. When this Ceremony is over, I propose retiring to the Country for a few weeks, the City being at present disagreeable. — On our passage we were brought to by a small flying Squadron of French Ships; two officers came on board, examined our papers & after a detention of less than two hours, suffered us to proceed. They behaved with the utmost politeness & had very much the manner of Gentlemen. The Commodore, on my application, sent me a Certificate of our examination, to prevent molestation by Cruizers. The officers seemed very anxious for Peace, which they said would certainly take place during the Summer: - in this however they may be disappointed, the last accounts being rather unfavorable; but as the negotiations are conducted with secrecy, every report on this Subject must be founded on a slender basis; at one moment we hear that the pretensions of France are so extravagant that England cannot listen to them, at another, that Trincomale is the only re-maining subject of controversy. It is certain that both Nations are anxious for Peace & ill able to continue the war; I am impatient to learn what part the new minister of foreign affairs, Talleyrand, will act in respect to England & the United States. You must have been as much surprized at his elevation as myself; in the present conflict of parties, by which that government is agitated, I doubt whether he will remain long in office; as he is a shrewd, & interested politician, he will probably pursue that course which he thinks, will tend to his own aggrandizement. — The Danes have met with a great loss in their able minister, Bernstoff: he is succeeded by his Son. The day after my arrival I had a visit from the Danish minister, Warnstatt, who expressed a desire to cultivate a friendship with me. He freely complained of the ill treatment his Country had sustained from the English & French during the present war, regretted much that the U.S. had not a navy, which he said was always the first wish of Count Bernstoff, that an alliance might take place between the neutral powers to defend their Commerce effectually in time of war.— The government of this Country is taking active measures to defend their frontiers against Spain & to protect their Commerce against France: they have even made reprisals & have brought in here some small french privateers. They have a squadron of five Sail of the Line at Sea, & a considerable number of Troops, encamped in the neighbourhood of Lisbon, consisting of English, French Emigrants or Portugueze, besides an army on the frontiers. To support the extra Expences occasioned by these preparations (in which England has aided them with £ 300,000 St.) they have issued Paper Bills to the amount of 1.500,000 dollars, which are a Tender in law in all payments: I have seen one of the Bills, just come into circulation; it promises payment in one year at the royal Treasury with Six percent interest; I don't understand that there is any obstacle to their free currency; if they maintain their credit, they will be extremely useful in negotiations, there being no other paper in circulation. — There was found on board one of the Privateers brought in here, a Paper, purporting to be an instruction to the Commander of the Privater designating the mode of distinguishing a genuine American Sea-Letter & Register from counterfeit ones: this came into the hands of M^r Bulkeley's father, & he has permitted me to send you a copy of it. We may infer from this Paper, that there is a practice in England of forging these [underline: Paper Documents] to some extent, which requires instant remedy, either by calling in old Sea Letters & Registers or by such devices as may guard as effectually as the nature of the case will permit against these frauds: We may [underline: likewise] infer, from the great pains & accuracy with which these Papers are described that there is an intention to respect Vessels having real bona fide Papers, & that some Captains may possibly be attributed to a detention of forged ones. Captain Dohart tells me he has been several times boarded by French Cruizers & that after a strict examination of his Papers (which has been sometimes done by an exact admeasurement of the Seal &^c) he has been always released. The Consul, M^r Bulkeley, informs me that American Sea Letters, supposed to be forged, have been sold for a Trifle, & that he has no doubt of the practice. — Col. Humphreys quitted Lisbon about the beginning of this month; his arrival at Madrid was announced by the last Gaz^te. M^r Adams was daily expected here & I am told some of his baggage is actually arrived. — As your Son writes by this Vessel, I need not inform you that he is in good health, but I cannot with hold the pleasure of assuring you how much I am pleased with him: he more than realizes the account you gave of him & exceeds my most sanguine anticipations. — He suffered greatly by the voyage for the first week, but from his looks he now appears to have been benefitted by his sea-sickness. — As this then appears, from the circumstance I have communicated, respecting the Sea Letter, an intention somewhere to respect Vessels having genuine documents, conforming to the principles France has assumed with respect to us, yet it is but too true that some of their Cruizers have captured [strikethrough: American] Vessels without any pretext whatever; an instance has lately occurred of an American being carried into Spain by a French Privater [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] for having on board [underline: the Colours of three different nations]; she was cleared however; but it is said that by an order from the Prince of Peace she was restored to the Captor. I am promised the particulars of this Case by the Consul, which I will forward to you: — the owner of the Vessel is, I understand, now here. — I request you will present my best Respects to the President & I beg leave to recall to your recollection the Subject of our conversation the day of my departure from Newcastl. Presuming on your friendship, I shall make bold to rely on your Services, where not incompatible with the public good. With my respects to M^r Pickering I remain Dear Sir very respect[ful] Your most ob^t W^m Smith Pleas. to send me the acts. of Congress of the last Session, — the entire Session. [W^m Smith Lisbon August 24. 1797. rec^d Nov^r 14.]