Lord Gough to Mr. Rockhill.

Sir: With reference to your note, No. 463, of the 25th ultimo, on the subject of firearms upon Canadian sealers engaged in Bering Sea, I have the honor, acting under instructions from the Marquis of Salisbury, to communicate to you, for the information of the United States Government, the following report, made by the British admiral at Esquimalt to Her Majesty’s Admiralty, under date of July 24:

The sealers that have cleared for the Bering Sea direct (thirty-three in all) have taken no arms with them. Those that have cleared for the Japan and Asiatic coast (twenty-eight in all) have arranged to return their arms before entering the Bering Sea; those vessels (arms?) leaving Japan on freight, and those leaving the neighborhood of the Commander Islands in one of the sealers not entering the Bering Sea. This should remove one source of difficulty.

I have, etc.,

Gough.