e oaken Snu 6 1' fi A<tb~ iffl Q (\':
COLLECTOR'SALLEY
by o,. WW.
Ships have their stories to tell-and so do lesser artifacts. Take a round oak snuffbox embellished with a bright medallion on its cover now resting on the fireplace mantle ofan old New England house not far from the sea. If it could speak, this artifact would tell a curious tale; a tale involving the frigate Constitution, Merino sheep (then the most prized in the world), a Jeffersonian American diplomat stationed in Portugal, a naval captain who fought against the Barbary pirates, and a business opportunity arising from Napoleon's conquest of Spain. illiam Jarvis was a successful Boston merchanr, prominent in local sociery. In 1797, rhe year of rhe launching of rhe frigare Constitution in Boston, Jarvis became a pan owner of a merchant brig and made several rri ps to Europe aboard her. As an observant businessman he became familiar wirh rhe intricacies of foreign commerce, and, in 1802, his enrrepreneurial skills were broughr to rhe arrention of President T homas Jefferson. Alrhough Jarvis, a Boston Federalise, was nor of Jefferson's polirical persuasion, rhe newly elecred Jefferson needed ralented people for his adminisrrarion. So he asked rhe New Englander to represen r rhe Uni red Srares as consul and charge d'affaires ar Lisbon, Porrugal, an imporrant Norrh Arlantic rrade and ship building center. Being appointed ro a diplomaric posr was an honor, and Jarvis, recognizing rhar rhis was also a business opporruniry, happily accepred rhe appointmenr. Ir was a very rense rime polirically in American history. The Brirish were sropping American vessels ar sea, impressing many American sai lors whom rhey deemed Brirish inro rheir navy. The Quasi-War berween rhe Unired Srares and France had jusr ended, Napoleon was in rhe midsr of his European conquesrs, and rhewaragainsr rhe Barbary Pirares of Norrh Africa had jusr begun. Shipping and commerce were rhe lifeblood of maririme narions bur, because of rhe hosriliries, rhere was a shorrage of sailors. One way ro augmem rhe crew of an undermanned ship was to sail ro a busy port such as Lisbon and obrain foreign sa ilors, eirher rhrough legirimare recruirment or from lawless press gangs. Sropping ar Porrugal's capi ral, however, had irs problems. Foreign ships anchored in Lisbon
W
34
Nmton
charge d 'affaires. He showed no concern rhar orher ships in Lisbon harbor also had need of manning and repairs. In rime a supplementary crew composed mosdy of foreigners was obrained, a new bowsprir insralled, and all repairs complered. To rhe relief of Co nsul Jarvis, Rodgers sailed Constitution from Lisbon on 9 February 1805 . His desrinarion was rhe coasr of North Africa, rhe ongoing Barbary Pirare War, and naval hisrory. On 3 June 1805, rhe Treary of Tripoli was signed on board Constitution amid exchanged cannon salures from ship and shore barreries marking rhe end of rhe Barbary War. The three-inch snuffbox made.from a piece of Despire rhe annoying six-week delay of Consrirurion 'soak andgiven toJarvis. (Photo USS Constitution, Jarvis became known as courtesy the author) rhe zealous prorecror of American seamen harbor were in danger of being placed in in Portugal. He persuaded rhe government quarantine, a control measure ro hair rhe ro make press gangs illegal, lobbied for a spread of an epidemic of yellow fever. change in rhe quarantine law, negoriared a On6November 1804,Maryland'sJohn decrease in rhe rariff againsr American Rodgers was given command of rhe frigare goods, and helped expand commerce beConstitution. On 27 November Rodgers rween America and Portugal. was ordered ro sai l rhe vessel from SyraOne unusual opportuniry in particular cuse, Sicily, ro Lisbon ro acquire new sails, engaged his arrenrion. Over hundreds of cable and, mosr of all, 80 new crewmen. years Spanish shepherds had developed While en roure rhe vessel encountered a highly prized Merino sheep, righdy consevere Adantic srorm rhar sprung rhe bow- rrolling rhe val uable breed. Spanish srarures sprir and delayed her arrival ar Lisbon until imposed a dearh penalry on anyone caughr 28 December. Constitution had departed exporting a si ngle ewe. The sheep produced from Sicily, an endemic yellow fever port, fine, soft fleece admired rhroughour rhe rherefore rhe frigare was ordered ro berth in Wesrern world. Spain had used rhe profirs a quarantine anchorage far from rown. from sales of Merino wool to pardy finance Alrhough communicarions wirh rhe au- explorarions and enlarge irs colonial emrhoriries and rhe American consul were pire. Bur in 1808 Napoleon conquered his difficulr from rhis remore area, Rodgers ersrwhile ally Spain, confiscaring properry advised Jarvis abour his need for seamen and esrablishing new laws. The French govand repairs. Progress was slow. Rodgers, a ernment was in dire need of funds to ficaprious, arrogant and imparient naval of- nance milirary campaigns, and rhey seized ficer, wrore Jarvis heared, discourreous ler- on rheir newly acquired Spanish sheep as a rers. In whar would be unheard-of conduce source of ready revenue. Being an opporruroday, rhe naval caprain was crirical ofwhar nisric businessman, Jarvis purchased 3,500 he perceived as laziness on rhe part of rhe Merino sheep and shipped rhem to America Merino sheep ~--------------------------------~
SEA HISTORY 97, SUMMER 200 1