DIARY OF CAPTAIN LAMSON 181 



effect. The plea was, that the mere landing 

 of colonial produce did not neutralize, but 

 that case did not apply to me, as the cargo 

 was all introduced into the United States 

 by other vessels. 1 When they made that a 

 plea every person in court showed their 

 indignation by rising and leaving Court. 

 Mr. Starks the Swedish Consul, Mr. Drake 

 the Partner in the House of Robert Ander- 

 son & Co. who came out with me, declared 

 that no person could tell on what grounds 

 or for what reasons they had condemned 

 the property ; it was an arbitrary and wilful 

 robbery which at that time the British Gov- 

 ernment countenanced, and Sir William 



1 "We understand several decisions in Courts of Ad- 

 miralty in England have been recently given, that a neu- 

 tral shall not be allowed to make either a direct or 

 circuitous voyage from an enemy's colony to enemy's 

 country, but where produce was proved to have been 

 bought in the neutral nation, vessels were acquitted." 

 -Salem Gazette, Jan. 24, 1806. 



This is the plea that Capt. Lamson urged, that the 

 cargo, whatever its origin, was bought by him in the 

 United States in good faith. 



