Davis, George (fl. 1803-1811) Extracts from Davis' journal of activities as American Consul in Tripoli

March 6, the indifference of opinion between the English Consul and myself as to the amount of freight of the vessel which was employed on account of the United States to transport the family of the Hamet Caramanli to Sicily, has this day been determined by arbitration and on lieu of his pretensions of fifteen Dollars, the sum of eleven hundred has been agents $1100 for the employment of said Debel
7. a private audience.
9. arrived a courier form Tunis Received letters, Portrays[sic]
10. Requested a public audience for Mr. Payne on Tuesday the 13.
The Bashaw desired that Mr. Payne might be presented on Monday the 12, it being a court day, and which would allow His Excellency to receive him with greater distinction: H: E: also made known his intentions of relating Mr. Payne from the Castle, which was only done for an accredited Consul.
11. a message from the Bashaw thn [sic] the Minister requesting that Mr. Payne might be presented as Consul - I explained to the Minister that Barbary Consul were allways [sic] furnished with letters of Credence from their Government, and generally with an accompanying testimony of their ,aster regard for the Prince near whom they were accredited, neither of which he must be persuaded was within my countroul [sic] the minister replied, that he had it in charge from the Bashaw, to say, that Since imperious circumstances had compelled me to quit Tripoli, M: E: was desirous that Mr. Payne for whom he had allways [sic] evidence an attachment, might permanently fixed in his Regency-that therefore this request was not ment [sic] to anticipate in anyways the unusual present on the establishment of a Consul; but merely to Express his minister of the United States, in the most Dedicated manner.
12. Presented Mr. Payne to the Bashaw - His Excellency informed as that seven funs [sic] were the usual number, which was fixed as a Salute, but, that, as he had at all time distinguished the Government of the United States, from other powers, they should be honores with eleven-on retiring from the audience I expressed to H: E: my gratification at his faithful observance of the Treaty, at the honor which he had on many occasions conferred on the Representative of the United States, and the increasing desire which H: E : had ever manifested to secure a continuance of the Government. - I also expressed to H: E my grateful sensibility for the friendship & confidence with which he had treated me during my residence in his Regency.
13. gave the Customary presented for Salute $ 69 and the usual $ 75 sum $6 to servants & porters at official visits - The courier returned to Tunis, wrote Mr. Coxe. ---
14. arrived the Bashaw Regne Mahomet Calabash after a three mouths craize having made four prizes.
15. Mr. Davis took her leave of the Bashaw Lady and Seraglis on which occasion she presented Lila grande with a Diamond those on returning to the Bashaws apartments H: E gave her the freedom of Mr. John Cozalick an Austrian Captain slave to the Regency delivered to Mr. Payne the Public Seals, letter of instruction [illegible]
16. [illegible] a courier from Tunis forward by Mr. Coxe with dispatches for the Honorable the Secretary of State [illegible]
18. Took my leave of the Bashaw - on retiring from the audience I presented His Excellency with the head of a Persian Daffer, Tourquaine set with oriental Homes-
arrived at Mesurat, a Greek Polacre Ladeb with fish & prize to armor Shelly
Sailed the Bashaws Grolacalo Thias Mahmour la Bensazar, having the new Bey of That Provence on [illegible] .
19. arrived a Sicilian Pink without Cargo, & Rise to Amor Shelly.