I have the honor to be, with high consideration, sir, your most obedient,
humble servant,
Hon. W. Hunter,
&c., &c., &c.
Governor Rawson to Mr. Burnley
Government House,
Nassau,
April 3, 1865.
SIR: In reply to your despatch of the 10th instant, enclosing a
letter from Mr. Secretary Seward, relative to the movements of five
blockade-running steamers which are stated to have recently cleared
from Nassau, and which are suspected of being engaged in illegal and
hostile operations against the commerce of the United States, I have
much satisfaction in reporting that there is no reason for believing
that there is any truth in the information which he has
received.
From the date of Mr. Seward’s letter, 8th March, I presume that he
must refer to steamers which left this port in the month of
February. If so, I find that all the blockade-running steamers which
cleared from Nassau to St. John’s,, New Brunswick, in that month,
have returned hither, and were in port when his letter was written,
except two which were captured in Charleston harbor, one which
returned to this port, after having attempted unsuccessfully to run
the blockade, and one which is now at Havana.
If Mr. Seward refers to vessels which cleared for St. John’s, New
Brunswick, in January, I find that every one of them have returned
to this port with cargoes of cotton, proving that they were not
employed in the manner suspected by Mr. Seward’s informant.
I am very glad of this. The anxiety expressed by the United States
government regarding the equipment of vessels within this colony,
and the rumors afloat on the subject, have made me very desirous of
ascertaining whether there were any real grounds for either. After
careful inguiry and a strict watch, I am led to believe that up to
the present time nothing of the kind has been done or attempted in
this harbor since the beginning of the year.
With regard to the Ajax, which was the subject of your despatch of
the 16th February, she was under observation during her stay here,
until her departure on the 29th ultimo, when she left for Bermuda in
ballast, with a moderate number of seamen and firemen. Nothing took
place during her stay here to excite suspicion with regard to her,
and I have reason to believe, on very good information, that she was
neither intended nor adapted for a war vessel, but for a tug only,
for which employment she was fitted up.
I have, &c.,
J. H. Burnley, Esq., &c., &c., &c.
