180 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC., 



[Inclosure.] 



In the Court of Vice Admiralty, Prince Edward Island. 



Our Sovereign Lady the Queen against The ship or vessel called 

 the " Starlight," of Gloucester, (whereof Charles McDowell was 

 master,) her tackle, apparel and furniture, and cargo, seized by 

 Colin Yprke Campbell, esquire, captain in command of her Maj- 

 esty's ship Devastation. 



Appeared personally the said Colin Yorke Campbell and maketh 

 oath, that he is captain in command of her Majesty's steam-sloop 

 Devastation, and in or about the month of July last past, he, this 

 deponent, received orders from the Admiral Sir George T. Seymour, 

 K. C. B., G. C. H., command er-in-chief of the North American and 

 West India stations, to cruise in the said steam-sloop, during the 

 present season, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, for the protection of 

 the fisheries. That, from the said month of July up to the twelfth 

 day of this present month of August, he, this deponent, hath been 

 engaged in the said service. That on the sixth day of this present 

 month of August, this appearer being in and on board of the said 

 steamer-sloop, being nearly off Grand Valley, in Lower Canada, on 

 the southern bank, near the mouth of the river St. Lawrence, and 

 Grand Valley bearing about west-northwest from the said sloop, 

 which was between one and two miles from the coast or shore of 

 Lower Canada, observed from twelve to fifteen schooners, of and 

 belonging to the United States of America, standing off from the 

 shore of Grand Valley, and apparently within one mile of the said 

 shore. That this appearer then caused the said steam-sloop Devasta- 

 tion to be put under all steam and steered direct for a schooner or 

 vessel which was much nearer to the coast than, any of the rest, and 

 which afterwards proved to be the said vessel called the " Starlight." 

 That the said steam-sloop came close up to the said vessel about 

 twenty-five minutes after seven o'clock in the afternoon of the said 

 sixth day of August instant, the said vessel being then between the 

 " Devastation " and the coast. That this appearer then ordered Mr. 

 John Way, the master of the said steam-sloop, to ascertain by cross- 

 bearings the position of the said steam-sloop, which he did, and 

 reported her to be distant about two miles from the shore, the said 

 vessel called the " Starlight " being at that time about one hundred 

 yards nearer to the shore than the "Devastation." That this ap- 

 pearer then proceeded on board the said vessel to ascertain whether 

 or not the crew on board of her had been fishing, and found a number 

 of fishing-lines on board of her wet and fresh baited, also a number 

 of mackerel quite -fresh, being newly split and salted, which Mr. 

 Charles McDowell, the master of the said vessel, acknowledged to 

 have been caught on that day, but said they had been caught fifteen 

 miles off the coast. That there was a cask of bait open on the deck, 

 and a quantity ground and in a liquid state in the boxes outside or 

 the vessel, which had also the ladles in them. That there were two 

 boxes containing salt upon the deck, which deck was wet in several 

 places as if it had just Ibeen washed down, and the side of the vessel 

 was quite wet as if the lines had just been hauled in ; the fresh looking 

 fish were covered up in the casks with articles of wearing apparel, 



