Doc. No. 10. 25 



and some philosophical or chemical instriihients. Of the whole contents, 

 (such as they were,) all were lett as we Ibmid them, except to have been 

 repacked, with the aid of the consul and his assistants, and put in a better 

 state for crossing the sea than they were when delivered to me. When 

 first opened, it was evident that time, mould, and careless packing in the 

 first instance, had nearly destroyed many of the articles. 



The freight payable on the gold was not paid in London, not being due 

 until the arrival of the ship at "New York; but the consul agreed with 

 the captain for three-eighths of one per cent., which brought the amount 

 to £393 I2s. Primage was £19 13^. Sd. ; and the freight and primage on 

 the 14 Smithsonian boxes was to have been £3 8s. 5d.- These several 

 charges I was necessarily obliged to assume for the United States, and 

 engaged to pay them when the ship got to New York. On arriving there, 

 I received the instructions of the Secretary of the Treasury, of the 20th of 

 July, directing me to transfer the gold to the Mint at Philadelphia as soon 

 as practicable ; it being added that the president of the Bank of America 

 at New York had been requested to render me any facilities in his power. 

 The captain of the ship being content to take the bank as payment for 

 these last-mentioned charges, I thought I should best consult the spirit of 

 the Secretary's instructions by leaving the bank to pay them, which its 

 president expressed an immediate readiness to do. I supposed it could 

 make no difference to the Government, in the end, whilst it saved the ne- 

 cessity of opening one of the boxes of the gold at New York, out of which 

 fund alone I could have made the payment if demanded of me under the 

 engagement I had contracted. The bank may have further charges to 

 make for its aid to me otherwise in removing the gold to the Mint, but I 

 know nothing of them in detail. 



Referring, therefore, to that part of the Secretary's letter to me of the 

 7th instant, which I mentioned in my No, 33, asking a statement of 

 expenses attending the transportation of the gold after its actual shipment 

 at London, and its transfer to the Mint at Philadelphia after its arrival at 

 New York, I beg to offer the above explanation, having paid nothing 

 myself, 



I have the honor to remain, with great respect, your obedient servant, 



RICHARD RUSH. 



Hon, John Forsyth, 



Secretary of Stale. 



