Adams Papers Digital Edition

Papers of John Adams, volume 18

TRANSLATION

From Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Barclay to the American Commissioners, 11 August 1786 Barclay, Thomas American Commissioners
Thomas Barclay to the American Commissioners
Gentlemen D’Aralbyda. 11th. Aug. 1786—1

I arrived here today, and shall Continue My Journey to Tangiers Early in the Morning,— The Plague being at Constantina occasions a Rigorous Quarranteen of 40 Days (from Barbary) in Spain— I shall therefore Endeavor to Get into Ceuta, which being in the hands of the Spaniards is an Exception to the Above remark, and I think the Quarranteen from thence is only [ten] Twelve Days—2

The Treaty shall be forwarded with all Expedition as soon as I arrive in Europe, and in the Mean time I am Gentlemen / Your Very Obed. / Serv.

Thos Barclay

RC (DLC:Jefferson Papers); internal address: “Mr. Adams & Mr. Jefferson”; endorsed: “Barclay.”

 1.

Thomas Jefferson enclosed a copy of this letter with his to JA of 26 Sept., below, but the enclosure has not been found. Barclay also wrote directly to JA on 11 Aug. (Adams Papers). There he mentioned his travels and his intention to forward the treaty to Paris, once he reached the continent, and he also indicated that he had drawn a bill for £500 on JA.

 2.

Barclay was proceeding north along Morocco’s Atlantic coast from what is now Casablanca to Tangier. Ceuta, still a Spanish city, lies northwest of Tangier on the Mediterranean coast, just inside the Strait of Gibraltar.