No. 433.
Mr. Smyth
to Mr. Evarts.
Monrovia, Liberia, March 16, 1881. (Received April 26,)
Sir: I have the honor to inform you of the result of the mission of His Imperial Majesty’s ship Victoria.
On the 3d of February, 1881, according to the terms of the memorandum or protocol drawn up between Commander Yon Valois and the German consul of the one part, and the Republic of Liberia of the other, [Page 736] the ship Victoria, with the President of Liberia and Hon. E. W. Blyden, secretary of interior, on board, steamed out of the port of Monrovia on its voyage to the scene of the outrage on the Kroo coast.
On arrival at Sinou an interpreter was taken on board and a Liberian military officer, and the ship proceeded then to Hanna-Kroo, the place where the chief actors were who took part in the robbery and cruel treatment of the captain and crew of the German steamer Carlos.
When Hanna-Kroo was reached a message was sent by the President to the King and chiefs requesting them to come on board to talk “the palava.” The King and chiefs and five men came. The King informed the President that the live men he brought were engaged in the robbery, and that one of them was the leader.
The President ordered all the inhabitants to leave the town with whatever of property they could remove within thirty-six hours, that no lives might be lost, as he purposed destroying it. One man was killed by the explosion of a shell. A Liberian officer, a German officer and 120 men, fully equipped, landed after the town was shelled, this being the next day, and fired the town.
The culprits and the King and the chiefs were brought to Monrovia, the latter to be held as hostages until the indemnity should be paid by their people, and the former to abide the action of the court of admiralty.
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I have, &c.,