No. 330.
Mr. Bayard to Sir L. S. Sackville
West.
Department of State,
Washington, January 27,
1887.
Sir: I have the honor to inclose a copy of an
affidavit of the captain and two members of the crew of the schooner Sarah H. Prior, of Boston, stating the refusal of
the captain of the Canadian revenue cutter Critic
to permit the restoration to the former vessel, in the port of Malpeque,
Prince Edward Island, of her large seine, which she had lost at sea,
and-which had been found by the captain of a Canadian vessel, who
offered to return the seine to the Prior, but was
prevented from doing so by the captain of the Critic.
This act of prevention, the reason for which is not disclosed,
practically disabled the Prior, and she was
compelled to return home without having completed her voyage, and in
debt.
I have the honor to ask that Her Majesty’s Government cause investigation
of this case to be made.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Mr. Prior to
Mr. Bayard.
Boston, December 28,
1886.
Dear Sir: I wrote to Senator W. P. Frye,
setting forth in my letter the facts contained in the affidavit
inclosed. He wrote me to have it sworn to and to send it to you,
which I have done. Will you please let me know what course is best
to pursue in regard to it, whether to enter a claim or not? I think
it is a clear, strong case, and the claim would be a just one, and
will be pleased to receive your advice in the matter.
Yours, very truly,
[Inclosure 2.]
Affidavit of the captain and crew of the
schooner Sarah H. Prior.
On this 28th day of December, A. D. 1886, personally appeared before
me Captain Thomas McLaughlin, master, and George F. Little and
Charles Finnegan, two of the crow of the schooner Sarah H. Prior, of Boston, and being duly sworn, signed
and made oath to the following statement of facts:
On September 10, 1886, the schooner Sarah H.
Prior, while running for Malpeque, Prince Edward Island,
and about seven miles from that port, lost her large seine. [Page 502] Four days afterwardsthe
schooner John Ingalls, of Halifax, N. S.,
Captain Wolfe, came into Malpeque and had the seine on board, which
she had picked np at sea, Captain Wolfe offered to deliver the seine
to Captain McLaughlin in consideration of twenty-five dollars, which
offer the latter accepted and paid him the money. The Canadian
revenue cutter Critic, Captain McLearn, was
lying at Malpeque at the time, and Captain McLaughlin went to see
him, to ascertain if there would be any trouble in delivering the
seine. Captain McLearn would not allow the captain of the John Ingalls to give up the seine, so the
latter returned the twenty-five dollars to Captain McLaughlin.
The schooner Sarah H. Prior had two seines,
one large and one small size. It was the large one which she lost
and the schooner John Ingalls picked up. She
had to leave Malpeque without it, and consequently came home with a
broken voyage and in debt.
- Thos. McLaughlin.
- George F. Little.
- Charles Finnegan.
Suffolk,
ss:
Boston, December 28,
1886.
Personally appeared before me Thomas McLaughlin, George F.
Little, and Charles Finnegan, who signed and made oath that the
foregoing statement was true.
[
seal.]
Charles W. Hallstrain,
Notary Public.
