Mr. Moran to Mr.
Seward.
Legation of the United
States, London,
March 18, 1864.
Sir: I am directed by Mr. Adams to forward for
your information the accompanying paper just received from Mr. H. J.
Sprague, United States consul at Gibraltar. It contains an extract of a
letter to that gentleman from Mr. McMath, the consul at Tangier,
respecting a suspicious armed vessel recently seen in the bay of
Agadeer, Morocco, supposed to be either the,pirate Oreto or the Japan,
and a statement received by the same gentleman from a friend in Malaga
regarding the reports lately circulated in the Spanish newspapers that
the arms found on board the British steamer Princess, recently seized at
that port, were intended for the use of rebel corsairs.
I have the honor to be, sir, with great respect, your obedient
servant,
BENJAMIN MORAN, Assistant Secretary of
Legation,
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
[Page 398]
[Extract.]
Mr. McMath to Mr. Sprague.
Consulate General of the United
States of America,
Tangier,
March 9, 1864.
Sir: I have to inform you that I this day
received information from my vice-consul at Mogadore that on the 4th
instant a number of Arabs arrived at Mogadore, and gave information
that a large black steamer, having a large crew and a number of
guns, displaying no flag, had been and then was lying in a small and
secure inlet near the bay of Agadeer. Said vessel reached her
anchorage on or about the 27th February. The vessel had not
communicated with the shore. There are no Christians or Jews
residing at or near Agadeer, and the latter is not a legalized port
of entry, has no batteries, and, in fact, is nothing but a wild and
dreary coast. The conclusion I have come to is that said vessel is
either the Georgia or Florida, put into this secluded place with a
view of receiving a cargo of coal from a tender. Agadeer is about
sixty or seventy miles west of Mogadore, and is itself a safe
harbor. I think, as I have all along thought, that in view of the
late order in the British council restricting the rights of
belligerent vessels, an attempt would be made to receive tenders
with cargoes of coal, and perhaps other supplies, from such secluded
and almost unknown ports on the west coast of Africa. From Mogadore
to Tetuan the authority of the Sultan is supreme, but at the place
mentioned we could not expect an enforcement of the royal order of
24th September. I give you this information, leaving you to decide
whether it would be advisable to suggest a cruise at once of some of
our vessels that may be in reach.
Horatio J. Sprague,
United States Consul, Gibraltar,
From Mr. Sprague.
There is no foundation for what some Spanish papers have said with
regard to the destination of the cargo, arms, &c., per Princess,
being for supplying confederate steamers. There is no doubt that
they were intended for either Italy or Circassia—most likely the
latter. It is true that most of the arms are for ship’s use, or
rather for being used on board ship; but, on the other hand, of what
service would scaling ladders, pickaxes, shovels, sand-bags, and
beds for wounded, be on board? The crew all signed articles for
Ancona. They were to have £16 each for the
voyage. The captain tells us that the person who seemed to manage
all the affair looked and was said to be a Pole. A couple of days
ago he received a letter from count somebody, saying that he was
about starting for Madrid, and that he expected that the government
would give everything back. The steamer herself has been pierced for
carrying some small guns. She is a trumpery boat, but quite unfit
for a confederate cruiser, and only adapted for river service.
