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  4. Document 139

No. 139.
Mr. Lowell to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

Legation of the United States,
London , February 2, 1884. (Received February 15.)
No. 704]

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that I have just received a letter from Earl Northbrook, first lord of the admiralty, a copy of which I inclose herewith, conveying, in behalf of the British Government, the generous offer of the Alert as a present to our Government, for the Greely relief expedition.

I now have the honor to inclose a copy of the note I were in reply to his lordship.

I have, &c.,

J. B. LOWELL.
[Inclosure 1 in No. 704.—Private.]

Lord Northbrook to Mr. Lowell.

Admiralty, S. W. , February 1, 1884.

My Dear Mr. Lowell: Commander Chadwick has mentioned, in conversation with Sir Cooper Key, that Her Majesty’s ship Alert might be of use to the United States Government in an expedition to be dispatched in search of the expedition which is missing in the Arctic regions.

I write a line to say that we have not forgotten the very considerate conduct of the Government of the United States on the occasion of the recovery of the Resolute, and that if you should be instructed, to make any suggestions, through the usual official Channel, that the Alert would be of any use to the United States Government, we shall be happy to ask you to accept her as a present.

Yours, very sincerely,

NORTHBROOK.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 704—Private.]

Mr. Lowell to Lord Northbrook .

Legation of the United States,
London , February 2, 1884.

My Dear Lord Northbrook: It is with an emotion for which the diplomatic phrase “peculiar satisfaction” is altogether too colorless that I hasten to acknowledge the reception of your private note of yesterday, informing me of the offer by Her Majesty’s Government of Her Majesty’s ship Alert as a gift to that of the United States, for the use of the Greely relief expedition. As I think the terms of your note more expressive than any that I could substitute for them, I shall this morning send a copy of it to Washington.

In the mean while I beg thus, in advance, to convey to you, and through you to Her Majesty’s Government, I she thanks of the President for this particularly timely and graceful recognition of that international courtesy which I trust will always characterize the intercourse of our respective countries.

Faithfully yours,

J. R. LOWELL.