No. 206.
Mr. Bassett to Mr. Fish.
Port au Prince, Hayti, January 30, 1873. (Rec’d Feb. 24)
Sir: I have the honor to represent that a German squadron entered this harbor on the 19th instant, and that after the customary exchange of salutes between the authorities here and the flag-ship of the squadron, the latter sailed for Kingston and Havana on the 21st instant. The squadron consisted of the iron-clad Friedrich Carl, Commodore Werner; the corvette Vineta, Captain Batsch; the corvette Gazelle, Captain D’Arendt; the corvette Elizabeth, Captain Livonius. A smaller vessel, belonging to the same squadron, called the Albatross, arrived here on the 28th instant, and left the same day to join the others.
The mission of this squadron here was, it is believed, entirely friendly. But a remarkable feature of this visit was the presence in these waters once more of Captain Batsch, still in command of the same corvette, Vineta, with which, in connection with the Gazelle, he seized the Haytien fleet in this harbor in June last. This fact caused some discussion in Haytien circles, and seems to be, for the time being at least, something of the refutation of the pretences alluded to in my No. 171, of the 6th instant, and given out by General Brice, the Haytien envoy, who claimed to have received assurances at Berlin that Captain Batsch’s conduct here in June last would be disowned by his government.
I have, &c.,