Mr. Harvey to Mr. Seward.
Sir:A paragraph appeared in one of the principal papers to-day of which the following is a translation:
“According to the Aurora dos Açores of the 5th of March an English schooner coming from the island of St. Mary’s reports that a vessel was set on fire by a steamer presumed to be the Florida, or Alabama, and supposed to be the same which, on the 1st instant, passed within sight of the harbor.”
I fear it will turn out that the corsair Florida, which left Funchal on the night of the 29th February, has been renewing her depredations, and that at least one other victim has been added to the number of American ships which have been destroyed by this and other piratical cruisers.
Unless energetic measures be adopted there is too much reason to believe that the catalogue will be soon and largely augmented.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State.