*
Your obl: Sew!
(Signed) W. M. Drane.
The same to the same
N374
Sir
99
Colonial Secretary's Office
Hongkong 14th March 1882
In reply to your letter of the 10th instant, I have the honor by, direction of the Administrator to inform you that His Excellency finds on enquiry that the despatches
in
question
were sent to the Painter
the day after they
laidh
the bouncil Table and were
not returned until the instant.
With regard to the wote for the Observatory I am to add "that the larger part of Major Palmer's work was
finished br- fore the arrival of the Secretary
of State's Dispatch and that the Governor only permitted the taking of the latitude & breause the presence of the U.S. 8. "Palos" in this lealony afforded cxcep-
tional