The author, a cousin, writes from Lisbon, Portugal during the Portuguese Civil War of 1828-34. Her husband, Joachim Gervasio, captains a ship between Portugal and Brazil and has recently returned after a 3-year absence. The letter provides a lengthy description of the political and economic climate of Portugal during the war. The author remarks that the the country is "torn in pieces" and "many are suffering for lack of bread" due to the French blockade. She predicts "God in Heaven only knows how this will end[,] no doubt in the pain of thousands."