60                       THE OLD MERCHAJVTS
 

CHAPTER VL

I have described merchants of all nationalities, but
probably no one ever made so much noise for a time as
Joaquim Monteiro, a Portuguese merchant who came
here in 1796 and commenced business. His store was
at 94 Pine street, and his residence at 216 Broadway.
He afterwaixl removed to No. 11 Broadway. He did a
very heavy business for some years, but when in 1804 he
was appointed Portuguese Consul for the Eastern States
and New York State, to reside in New York city, his
credit became unlimited, and he used it to his fullest ex¬
tent. Whether he ever made any money by his busi¬
ness or not, I cannot tell. I know that he found a way
to make a large fortune by acting very villainously to¬
ward other merchants in New York city.

His transactions were very large. In September,
1704, he purchased of J. L. Steinback, a merchant at
84 Pearl street, the schooner " Recovery." Being a
consul, he was able to naturalize her himself and make
her a Portuguese vessel. He named her the " Ann,"
and cleared on the SOth September, 1804, for Madeira,
sending in her as a captain, Joseph F. Carvalho, and as
supercargo Francisco B. Stoner. The cargo cleared at
the (histcnn House be swore to as worth •$ 15,022 —
Indian corn   ami   meal, -13,000 ; flour, $500 ; iron   and