No. 378.
Mr. Bassett to Mr. Fish.
Port au Prince , May 21, 1874. (Received June 20.)
Sir: Asking your reference to my No. 299 of the 17th ultimo, and to my No. 305 of the 9th instant, I have the honor to state that late in the afternoon of the 9th instant, Her Britannic Majesty’s gun-vessel, Sea Gull, carrying three guns and one hundred men, under command of Commander Stubbs, came into this harbor, where she still remains, in response to the request of my colleague of Great Britain for the presence in these waters of a war-ship during the public irregularities and inquietude prevailing here; that in answer to a similar request from my colleague of France, the French steam-frigate. La Magicienne, carrying thirty guns and five hundred men, under command of Post Captain Guepart, Rear-Admiral Thomasset being on board, cast anchor in the bay of Port au Prince on the morning of the 10th instant, where she remained until day before yesterday and then left for Newfoundland; and that on the 15th instant, a day behind time, my colleague of the German Empire received an answer to his request for the presence of a man-of-war of his government pending the uncertainties of the public situation in Hayti, by the entry into this port of the German corvette, Augusta, which carries ten guns and two hundred and thirty men, under command of Baron von Goltz. She left the 19th instant, for Jamaica.
While lying at anchor here La Magicienne and the Augusta exchanged civilities with the authorities of this government and with each other.
Although the presence in these waters of war-vessels of their respective governments has, as is thus shown, been judged desirable by the representatives of the great powers, the United States, Great Britain, France, and Germany, I venture for myself to hope now, but am by no means yet quite certain, that any actual necessity which may have existed for such friendly armed presence has begun for the moment to disappear. But I learn from Her Britannic Majesty’s minister resident that as the Sea Gull will probably leave in a day or two, he has asked for a national vessel of his government to come to the harbor of Port au Prince on or about the 7th proximo, and to remain during the elections and the choice of a President of Hayti, two important prospective events which are alluded to in my No. 309 of even date, and my colleague of France, the Count de Lemont, informs me that he expects here about the same time and for the same purpose the French corvette, Duchayla.
I am, &c.,