161
serious case.
itself
010
of small pox had shown
boarded the "Circe”, which vessel
had consequently
been ordered into the usual Quarantine grounds
e. grounds North of the Harbour.
The Harbour Master at the same
time reported that the Boarding Officer Mr Burt
had visited the Circe on her arrival
and put the usual question as to whether
"there was
any sickness on board, when
he received an answer in the negative."
6.
Now, if there be one obligation imperative than another
more than another on Masters
of vessels visiting a Foreign Port, it is the obligation of ensuring that truthful replies are given to questions put to
them by officers boarding on the part
of the local Government. The untruthfulness
of the reply given in the case of the "Circe" quite disentitles that vessel,
in my
opinion, to redress for any inconvenience
she
even
may afterwards have
sundergone,
if there had been cause for remonstrance on the
ground of any unusual restrictions subsequently
imposed on her. She was however treated precisely
as a British Man
of War would have been under the same circumstances, whilst the Spanish Consul and all his
communications received the most
studious courtesy at
my hands, despite the petulance and irritable
tone of his manner and his letters,