Historians of empire are well aware of the importance of finding moments and spaces of connectedness between empires. The question of how to do so meaningfully remains open. This article brings to light a significant moment of imperial connectedness, through imperial contest. It tells the story of the humiliating expulsion of the British consul John Falcon from the strategic Mediterranean port of Algiers, during the Napoleonic wars. Both France and Britain sought to establish an informal imperial presence in the regency of Algiers, for access to the grain that both needed – France for its southern regions and armies, and Britain for the supply of its Mediterranean base in Gibraltar. The consuls of both powers were obliged to deal with a Jewish trading house that acted as middleman, both in trade and in diplomatic relations in the regency: the House of Bacri and Busnach. As the two powers competed, and sought to shut one another out, they attributed failures and frustrations to this trading house. Through French and British perceptions of Falcon's expulsion, and both powers’ understanding of the role of the trading house in events, this article offers a picture of imperial connection, bringing together middlemen, diplomacy, and international relations.

帝国历史学家深知寻找帝国之间联系的时刻和空间的重要性。如何有意义地这样做的问题仍然存在。本文通过帝国竞赛揭露了重要的帝国关连时刻。它讲述了在拿破仑战争期间，英国领事约翰·法尔康被羞辱地从战略性地中海港口阿尔及尔驱逐出境的故事。法国和英国都试图在阿尔及尔摄政区建立一个非正式的帝国存在，以获取所需的粮食-法国用于其南部地区和军队，而英国则用于供应其直布罗陀的地中海基地。两国的领事都必须与在交易中和在摄政中的外交关系中充当中间人的犹太贸易公司打交道：Bacri和Busnach之家。当这两个大国竞争时，他们试图将对方拒之门外，他们将失败和挫败归因于这家贸易公司。通过法国和英国对猎鹰被驱逐的理解，以及两国对交易公司在事件中的作用的理解，本文提供了帝国联系的图景，将中间商，外交和国际关系结合在一起。