Mr. McCulloch, collector, to Mr. Crawford, Secretary of the Treasury.
Collector’s Office, April 16, 1819.
Sir: On the 14th instant a South American cruiser named Congresso di Venezuela, Bon Henreques Chiet, commander, arrived here and reported herself as a government brig of war, bound for the River Aronoque, but put in here in distress, requesting permission to make repairs and take supplies of provisions, water, &c.
It appears by the verbal accounts given me that she was formerly a Spanish brig of war, captured by the Irresistible, a patriot brig, and that at the moment when both were prepared to join in an expedition under Brien and Margueretta the crew of another cruiser there took the [Page 492] opportunity—of the absence of the commander and crew—the latter vessel being on shore with but a small guard on board—to migrate from their own vessel, substitute themselves to the *crew of the Irresistible, and go off to sea in her. The practice will doubtless correspond on these cruises to this piratical beginning, but the Congresso seems to have sailed in pursuit, and being in need of repairs, &c., has put in here. [114]
The case is reported not only for its singularity and the information of Government, but to show the difficulty the collectors of the customs have at once to gratify the neutrality claimed of the United States by the South Americans, and to restrain their cruisers within proper bounds.
The apology for so much as is here written must be taken from the vexation of hearing complaints, while a consciousness is held of having done everything by watchfulness here and speedy attention to every information from every part of the bay districts with the utmost readiness, in the midst of all our proper business, to give effect to whatever the merchants or attorney of the district can suggest in any case, not by rumors or suppositions, but by embodied information that will disclose the objects and justify the vindictive proceedings.
Wm. H. Crawford, Esq.