This Offer I conferred with The Lords Commission of the Admiralty in the hope that their Lordships, understanding that they would be relieved from a portion of the expense of maintaining a vessel at Hong Kong for this service, would be induced to comply with your wishes & station a suitable vessel there. I regret to inform you that their Lordships continue of the opinions they have expressed on former occasions and decline to place their ships under the control of the local Authorities. Under these circumstances I fear that you must rely on such means of protection against the Pirates infesting the small creeks and rivers in the vicinity of Victoria as you may yourself be able to establish, and I know of no better mode of accomplishing this object than by the employment of