PERIOD FROM 1836 TO 1854. 483 



brought into this port on the 7th instant by the "Revenue Cutter 

 Sylph. Phillip S. Dodd, Esquire, Commander. I have learned the 

 following particulars from the Master and Crew of the Argus, and 

 also from the Captain and Crew of another fishing Vessel belonging 

 to the same parties who own the Argus and who were in company 

 with the Argus at the time of the seizure. The Vessel sailed from 

 Portland on the 26th day of June last for a fishing voyage, that 

 nothing particular occurred until the 6th day of August last about 

 three o'clock P. M., when said vessel then being at Anchor, Corn Bay 

 Head, on the eastern coast of Cape Breton bearing by his compass 

 southwest distance about 25 miles Smokey Cape, bearing northwest 

 distance about 15 miles and Cape North bearing North distance 

 about twenty-five miles, that four or five days previous to the sixth 

 of August, they had seen no land, the weather being thick, foggy, and 

 rainy, with strong breezes, on which day about 9 o'clock A. M., the 

 vessel came to anchor not knowing the situation, during the day the 

 weather continued perfectly calm and the fog cleared up when the 

 vessel was discovered to be in the position as before mentioned. The 

 Captain went below leaving directions to be called as soon as the 

 wind sprung up with the intention of getting immediately under 

 weigh to proceed to the outer bank of St. Ann's which lias east south 

 east from Cape Smoke distance about thirty miles where the Captain 

 had fished several seasons previous, the Captain and three of the crew 

 have sworn before the surrogate of the Court of Admiralty of Nova 

 Scotia to the above facts and that they were not at the time of 

 seizure closer to any one point of Cape Breton than fifteen miles and 

 more than three miles to the eastward of a line drawn from the head- 

 lands of Cow Bay and Cape North a distance of fifty miles. The 

 Captain and two of the crew who are principal witnesses have pro- 

 ceeded to Halifax under my directions to effect the release of the 

 Vessel and I trust from the strong affidavits which the Captain took 

 with him backed by the two witnesses and after a fair representation 

 made to the Attorney General that the vessel will be released without 

 further difficulty. The remainder of the crew belonging to the Argus 

 sailed for Portland on the 8th instant having procured a free passage 

 on board of a fishing vessel which was bound for that place. 

 I am, etc., 



(Signed) Charles H. Delavan, 



U. S. Consul. 

 Hon. John C. Calhoi \. 



Secretary of Strife. 



Mr, Calhoun to Mr. Everett. 



(No. 105.) Department of State, 



Washington, September 0, 1844- 

 Sn:: Tt would seem from a perusal of the papers which accompany 

 this despatch thai an outrage has recently been committed by the 

 British cutter Sylph on the American li 1 1 i n ir schooner Wgus. Wil- 

 liam Doughty master, off the coast <>f Cape Breton, much in charac- 

 ter with some of tho e which have from time to time been made the 

 subject of remon trance by this government, [instructions in cases 



B280B — ft Doc. 870, 61-3, vol 2 32 



