Her Majesty’s consul at New York has forwarded to me the enclosed duly
authenticated affidavits of the chief engineer, boatswain, and four
others of the crew of the above vessel, in support of Mr. Pratt’s
assertion that he objected to the alteration of the ship’s course after
passing Nahant.
I beg that due consideration will be given to the statements in these
affidavits,
[Page 167]
and I shall be
much obliged to you if you will return them to me when they are no
longer required, as well as the shipping articles enclosed in my note of
the 17th ultimo, and the discharges of Pratt and Green, which, as I am
informed, are now in the hands of the United States government, and
which the prisoners are desirous of having restored to them.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most
obedient, humble servant,
Hon. W. Hunter,
&c., &c., &c.
[Enclosure.]
To all to whom these presents
shall come:
I, William Webb Venn, of the city of London, notary public by royal
authority, duly admitted and sworn, undersigned, do hereby certify
and attest that on the date of the date hereof, within my public
office, William W. Venn. notary public, personally came and appeared
William Stone, Jeremiah Cogían, Charles Bishop, James Foster,
William Grey, and David Williams, the six deponents named and
described in the affidavit hereunto annexed, under my official seal,
who did then and there, upon my administering to them respectively
oath on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, solemnly and sincerely
swear to be true the several matters and things mentioned and set
forth in the said annexed affidavit.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my notarial firm and said
official seal, “to serve and avail where needful. London, the 10th
of May. In fidem.[seal.]
WILLIAM W. VENN, Notary
Public.
Consulate of the United States Of
America at London.
I, Joshua Nunn, deputy consul of the United States of America for
London and the dependencies thereof, do hereby make known and
certify to all whom it may concern, that William Webb Venn, who hath
signed the annexed certificate, is a notary public, duly admitted
and sworn, and practicing in the city of London aforesaid, and that
to all acts by him so done full faith and credit are and ought to be
given in judicature and thereout.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, affixed the seal
of the consulate of the United States at London aforesaid, this 11th
day of May, in the year of our Lord 1865, and in the 89th year of
the independence of the said United States.[seal.]
JOSHUA NUNN.
We, the undersigned, William Stone, late chief engineer of the
steamship City of Richmond and now residing at 6 Arthurs street,
Burdett road, Limehouse, in the county of Middlesex, in England;
Jeremiah Cogblan, late boatswain of the said steamship City of
Richmond, and now residing at No. 3 Craven Cottage, Woodham street,
Barking road, in the said county of Middlesex; Charles Bishop, late
quartermaster of the said steamship City of Richmond, and now
residing at No. 3 Craven Cottages aforesaid; William Grey, late
quartermaster of the said steamship City of Richmond, and now
residing at No. 41 Evan street aforesaid, jointly and severally make
oath and say, that we severally signed articles to join the said
steamship City of Richmond to take said ship to Bermuda, or to one
of the other West India islands; and we hereby severally further
say, and declare that we were not acquainted, nor, to the best of
our knowledge, information, or belief, was Mr. Ernest Pratt, the
first mate of the said steamship City of Richmond, acquainted with
the intentions of the owners or captain of the said ship in
reference to any alteration of the said ship to Bermuda,. or to any
other of the West India islands; and we further jointly and
severally make oath and say that we were totally ignorant of the
nature of the cargo on board of the said steamship City of Richmond;
and we further jointly and severally declare that when at sea the
first mate, Mr. Ernest Pratt, protested to Captain Scott, the
captain of the said steamship, against the alteration that he
ordered and directed to be made of the course of the said steamship,
but that he, the said Ernest Pratt, as well as the several
above-named deponents, were compelled to obey the orders of the said
Captain Scott.
WILLIAM STONE.
JEREMIAH COGBLAM.
CHARLES BISHOP.
JAMES FOSTER.
WILLIAM GREY.
DAVID WILLIAMS.
Sworn by the above-named deponents, William Stone, Jeremiah Cogblan,
Charles Bishop, James Foster, William Grey, and David Williams, at
my public office, in the city of London, this 10th day of May, 1865,
before me.
WILLIAM W. VENN, Notary
Public.
