Mr. Elliot to Mr. Hammond.—(Received February 12.)
Sir: With reference to the latter portion of my letter of the 8th instant, on the subject of the statement made by Messrs, Sinclair, Hamilton & Company, that they believed Penguin island to be British territory, I am directed by the Duke of Newcastle to acquaint you, for the information of Earl Russell, that the lords commissioners of the admiralty have stated that there is no document in their department to show that Penguin island, which is more than twenty miles south of Ichaboe, was visited by a ship-of-war in the year 1861, or that Captain Jones, of the Furious, called there on his way to take possession of Ichaboe.
I have, &c.,