Intercepted during the Napoleonic War with the capture of enemy vessels by Nelson's fleet. The letters are mostly in Spanish, though there are some in Catalan, German and Italian. While a very few items date from the 1780s and 1790s, most of the letters cover the period Sep. to Nov. 1804. There are letters from Caracas to Barcelona (Aug.-Oct. 1804), from Tripoli to Alicante and Cartagena (Oct. 1804), and from Tunis to Barcelona, Madrid and Mahón (Nov.-Dec. 1804). But the greatest part of the correspondence was sent from Palma de Mallorca, destined in particular for Barcelona and dating especially to 17-19 Nov. 1804. The letters, written by both men and women, are mostly concerned with private family matters, though there is some official correspondence with Spanish government departments. In addition to the letters, the collection includes a few Spanish documents, such as accounts, bills, receipts, legal documents, reports, and sermons. Some of the material is incomplete.