2949.
SIR,
(Secret.)
58
No. 106.
MAURITIUS.
MR. LYTTELTON to GOVERNOR SIR C. BOYLE.
Downing Street, February 21, 1905. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Secret despatch of the 15th December last confirming your telegram of the 14th idemt enquiring as to the rules to be observed with regard to the Volunteer cruisers reported to be accompanying the Russian fleet; and in reply I have to inform you, as announced in my telegram of the 15th Decembert referring you to my telegrams of 26th November and 8th December§ as to the treatment to be accorded to all vessels connected with the Russian squadron, that the view of the Foreign Office is that, when Volunteer steamers are acting as auxiliaries to the fleet they must be regarded as an integral portion of it, and that any claim they might otherwise have to be treated as merchantmen is vitiated by such action. The Foreign Office further observe that, as these vessels of the Russian Volunteer fleet are now, it is understood, armed cruisers, they clearly form an integral part of the Russian fleet.
I have, &c.
ALFRED LYTTELTON.
*
57
and
I am to state that Mr. Lyttelton thinks that the case of the "Aberlour " Tapton" may be regarded as disposed of by the despatch addressed to the Governor on the 4th instant, in which a copy of your letter of the 2nd instantt was forwarded; but that the fact that the steamers "Ras Dara," "William Storrs," and "St. Ninian," which were allowed in the middle of last month supplies of coal to take them to Batavia, are remaining in the roadstead at Durban, is a matter which may require Lord Lansdowne's consideration.
I am, &c.
5397.
No. 109.
H. BERTRAM COX.
COLONIAL OFFICE TO FOREIGN OFFICE.
am
SIR,
Downing Street, February 23, 1905. In continuation of the letter from this Department of the 15th instant, I directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to transmit to you, to be laid before the Marquess of Lansdowne, a copy of a telegram§ from the Governor of Hong Kong reporting the movements of the British steamer "Woodford," one of those suspected of carrying coal for the Russian fleet, as to which a telegram was addressed to him at the instance of your Department on the 26th December last.||
4585.
No. 107.
SIR,
COLONIAL OFFICE TO FOREIGN OFFICE AND ADMIRALTY.
Downing Street, February 21, 1905.
16th ultimo, and your WITH reference to the letter from this Department of the reply of the 17th,|| ultimo,¶
6023.
21st
No. 110.
NATAL
I am, &c.
C. P. LUCAS.
I am directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to transmit to you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty,
Marquess of Lansdowne,
a copy of a despatch** from the Governor of Natal, reporting the circumstances in which he telegraphed for instructions as to the supply of bunker coal to certain steamers who cleared for Batavia, but whose cargoes were suspected of being destined for either the Russian or the Japanese fleet, and the action he eventually took in the case of the "St. Ninian."
I am, &c.
FRED. GRAHAM,
GOVERNOR SIR H. E. MCCALLUM TO MR. LYTTELTON. (Received 1:12 P.M., February 24, 1905.)
(Paraphrase.)
(February 24. No. 1.)
TELEGRAM.
[Answered by No. 120.]
WITH reference to my telegram No. 1 of 20th February, of the three colliers referred to, two have entered the harbour having their bunkers on fire.
5628.
No. 108.
COLONIAL OFFICE TO FOREIGN OFFICE.
[Answered by No. 119.]
6160.
No. 111.
HONG KONG.
GOVERNOR SIR M. NATHAN TO MR. LYTTELTON.
(Confidential.)
SIR,
Downing Street, February 22, 1905. In continuation of the letters from this Department of the 10th and 21st instant,†† I am directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to transmit to you, to be laid before the Marquess of Lansdowne, a copy of a further despatch‡‡ from the Governor of Natal, reporting the circumstances in which he telegraphed for instructions as to the treatment of certain vessels which applied at Durban for bunker coal, and which were suspected of being in attendance on the Russian fleet, and also a paraphrase of a telegram,§§ since received, in which Sir H. McCallum refers to the continued presence at Durban of the three coiliers mentioned in his telegram of the 16th January, which was communicated to you in Colonial Office letter of the same date.¶¶
Nos. 59 and 61
¶¶ No. 59.
■ No. 71.
+ No. 87
No. 39.
Nos. 24 and 31.
No. 62 A.
** No. 93.
‡‡ No. 102.
$5 No. 104.
†† Nus. 92 and 107. No. 58.
(Secret.) SIR,
C
(Received February 25, 1905.)
Government House, January 20, 1905.
I HAVE the honour to report, for your information, that the British steamer Tung Chau" visited this port at the commencement of December last, in circum- stances which gave rise to some suspicion, but were not held to justify any action against her under the Foreign Enlistment Act. On her return here, however, from Shanghae, on the 12th instant, the Harbour-master elicited certain facts from her Master, with regard to the carriage of ammunition by this vessel, which he set before me in the report of which a copy is annexed.
• No. 82.
† No. 79.
No. 103.
No. 52.
[1185]
L. F. transmitting a copy of No. 95.
No. 104
I
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-