[Docket: Leslon June 23 1798 / Wm. Smith.] Dear Sir Lisbon, June 23. 98 On the 2.^d March I left this Place for Gibraltar in the Swiftsure, British Ship of the Line, had a passage of Ten days, landed there under a federal Salute from the Said Ship, was hospitably received by the Governor, General O'Hara, saw all the Fortifications, passed about a fortnight & embarked to return to Lisbon in the Same Ship. Going out of the Bay, we had a fierce engagement with the Spanish gunboats in which the Swiftsure received two Shots in the hull, five in the sails & had four men wounded - when we got to the mouth of the Streights on, this was ordered to join the fleet of Cadiz. I took that opport.^y of going into that place in a flag of Truce & passed three weeks there - The Americans there gave me a handsome dinner - I thence proceeded to Xeres, & Seville at each of which places I passed a few days, & afterw.^d to Aranjuez, where the Court was then residing; I was presented by Col. Humphries to the Royal Family - became acquainted with Truguet & the rest of the Corps diplomatique - went to visit Madrid & the Escurial, when I saw a multitude of fine things, returned to Aranjuez, set off from thence to Toledo, saw the manufacture of Sword Blades, & a grand religious Procession on Corpus Christi Day, passed thro Badajos, Elvas &c home, when I arrived the 18.^th Instant. - Were I sure of my letter getting safe into your hand I would tell you many surprising things, but as I dread the trouble of writing this hot weather, many Sheets of paper for the amusement only of a few Pirates I will keep my good things for your private Ear, &c perhaps them till we can take a cool walk to the Schuylkill. — Two days ago I received your letter of 2.^d April, via Madeira; you are very good in writing me the news; with so much business on hand, I consider your devoting part of your time to write to me as a special mark of favour & kindness; remember that I don't consider myself as having a claim on you for letter for letter; write when you can spare time from your more important affairs, but rem.^b at the same time that your letters always afford me the greatest pleasure I am happy to find that the Ports have at length been surrendered by the Spaniards; while at Aranjuez, I had a conversation with Saavedra, the new Minister, on the Subject of an Treaty with Spain; it seems that under the Prince of Peace's administr.ⁿ it was attempted to persuade the King [strikethrough: that] as a justific.ⁿ of their refusal to comply with the Treaty that the U.S. were indispos'd to do it, & this idea had been communicated to Saavedra; Col. H. thought it a good opportunity to bring me forward to contradict it, having been in Congress at the time; I accord.^ly entered minutely into the subject & stated all the circumstances within my knowledge which prove most manifestly that the U.S. had proceeded to the execution of that Treaty with wonderful promptness & unanimity. & I'm pleased to find that the Minister appeared perfectly satisfied with my Statements. The Col. then thought it a fit opport.^y to intimate how much, after all this; it must grieve the Gov.^t of the U.S. to be continued there a person so obnoxious & here I was again referred to for facts within my knowledge, when I made a second Speech, dwelling forcibly on those facts which appe[ar] most likely to influence such a man as Saavedra, with whose character I had been previously made acquainted by the Gentleman (a Spaniard) with whom I had travelled from Cadiz South when I then lived at Aranjuez, who is an old & most intimate friend of Saavedra. By the Bye, as I knew that the Minister had proposed to his friend to accept of some office, I took every opport.^y of representing our Country in such a light as has set this gentleman to soliciting or at least owns intimately that he will have no objection to the Mission. — Perhaps some good may result from it. The Gentleman is a person of the first respectability & I am persuaded w.^d give the highest satisfaction to our Gov.^t — but there will be difficulties on the other Side — the Clerks in the Bureau have a kind of prescriptive right to succeed in these cases —— I find you are at length likely to have some Symptoms of a Navy — I [undecipherable: probable reading 'hear'] that there is to be a Navy Department, but I don't know which way your propensity inclines, whether to the Army or Navy; as you are to be subdivided into Two parts, I wish to know with which part the Soul remains, with the Navy part or the Army part? are you to be Mars or Neptune? are you to wield the Truncheon or the Trident? God prosper you in whatever capacity; you have an arduous task & sad Devils to deal with — to their Eyes are at length opened — are they not ashamed to confess that they still wanted something to open them? — could any but Villains & fools say that four years ago they didn't know all this? I shall notwithstanding appearances, despair of a right state of things till the People by some awful acts silence these Traitors or expel them from the Country. Adieu — my D.^r Sir — Prosperity & health attend you — I won't say Health & Fraternity; because it is too Jacobinish Wm. Smith