LETTERS OF A FRIEND TO THE NAVY. 345 



and that the positions of different members of the cluster must 

 be defined by the officers of the respective vessels. These ob- 

 servations, when reported to the commander on board the frigate 

 (which will be the depot of all reports, naval or civil), can, by the 

 aid of skilful draughtsmen, be reduced to regular and consecu- 

 tive charts ; and this will be the continual process throughout the 

 duration of the voyage. 



I must now take my leave of you for the present, and, with the 

 addition of one more letter, may probably close altogether. 

 Though, as I promised in the beginning, I have written you 

 freely in these letters, you have no just cause of complaint. If, 

 in the exposition I have given of some of your official acts, there 

 has been some occasional appearance of severity, you know full 

 well that they were, in comparison, but as the dewdrops of mercy 

 to what I might have said had I gone inta an examination of your 

 doings throughout the entire history of the naval equipment of the 

 squadron, as well as in reference to other points passed by with 

 out remark or allusion. For the opinions advanced and facts 

 stated I am alone and singly responsible ; and if they be contro- 

 verted, I hold myself at all times prepared to give my reasons for 

 the former and my proofs of the latter. 



I have the honour to be 



Your obedient servant and fellow 



CITIZEN. 



New-York, July 28, 1837. 



DEFENCE OF THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY. 



We give place, and a prominent one, most cheerfully to the following defence of the 

 secretary of the navy against the censures of our correspondent " Citizen." " A Friend 

 to the Navy," maintaining the anonymous himself, must, however, allow the same priv- 

 ilege to his interlocutor, and will excuse us for erasing a name which he uses apparently 

 with invidious purpose. Editor of the New- York Times. 



I. 



As statements calculated to mislead the public mind upon the 

 subject of the South Sea exploring expedition are published in 

 the Times under the signature of a " Citizen," you will no doubt 

 cheerfully afford an opportunity, through the same medium, of 



