50
view of your letter, however, a telegram, paraphrase of which is enclosed, has been sent to Consul Cameron instructing him in future to furnish such information direct to the Governors of Ceylon and Natal.
As regards colliers sailing from ports in this country, I am to state that his Lordship will inform Mr. Lyttelton in due course of any suspicious cases reported by the Customs or Board of Trade to this Department.
I am, &c.
F. A. CAMPBELL.
Enclosure in No. 91.
51
46
2. I considered it right, therefore, to report the circumstance to you (mentioning the cases of three steamers, the "Ras Dara," the William Storrs," and the St. Ninian "), and to take your instructions, though I conceived that mere suspicion would not justify the refusal of bunker coal.
3. The views of His Majesty's Government as communicated by your telegram of the 17th January, No. 1, confirmed this opinion, and having ascertained from the Rear-Admiral Commanding the Station that nothing was known against the steam-ship "St. Ninian," I have authorized her being supplied with sufficient coal to take her to ber destination.
I have, &c.
HENRY MCCALLUM.
(Paraphrase.)
FOREIGN OFFICE to CONSUL CAMERON, Port Said.
TELEGRAM.
(February 8, 1905. 4 P.M. Confidential.)
My telegram, Treaty, of 7th December-Colliers.
You should keep Governors of Ceylon and Natal informed by telegraph of any vessels suspected of being in attendance on Russian fleet who clear from Port Said with cargoes of coal for either Ceylon or Natal
4597.
No. 94.
3919.
SIR,
No. 92.
COLONIAL OFFICE TO FOREIGN OFFICE.
[Answered by No. 99.]
Downing Street, February 10, 1905. WITH reference to the letter from this Department of the 31st ultimo, and to your note of the 3rd instant,† I am directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to state, for the information of the Marquess of Lansdowne, that further telegrams‡ have been received from the Governor of Natal to the effect that the newspaper articles describing the coaling of the Russian squadron åt Great Fish Bay and Angra Pequena have been forwarded by the mail which left the Colony on the 4th instant; and also that the Port Captain at Durban had been misinformed as regards the authorship of these articles, which are now said to have been the work of the master of the "Aberlour " and not of the master of the "Tapton."
I am further to state that a copy of your letter of the 2nd instant§ was transmitted, with other correspondence, to the Governor of Natal by the last mail, and that, with Lord Lansdowne's concurrence, Mr. Lyttelton now proposes to forward to all Colonies on the lines of route to the East extracts from that letter in a Circular despatch, of which the draft|| is enclosed.
I am, &c.
FRED. GRAHAM.
SIB
FOREIGN OFFICE TO COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received February 13, 1905.)
Foreign Office, February 11, 1905. I AM directed by the Marquess of Lansdowne to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4th instant (3123/1905), enclosing copy of a despatch from the Governor of Ceylon respecting the supply of bunker coal to colliers under suspicion of being in attendance upon the Russian fleet.
With reference to the concluding paragraph of the Memorandum enclosed in Sir H. Blake's despatch, I am to state, for Mr. Secretary Lyttelton's information, that in his Lordship's opinion it is unnecessary at present to make any communication to His Majesty's Commissioners of Customs in the matter.
The question whether an application for coal should, or should not, be complied with is not governed by whether the ship's papers are in order or otherwise, but inainly by consideration of her proceedings on the previous voyage, or other evidence of ber being in attendance upon, or acting under the orders of, the belligerent fleet.
4701.
No. 95.
HONG KONG.
I am, &c.
F. H. VILLIERS.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 885
9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
4585.
No. 93.
NATAL.
GOVERNOR SIR H. E. MCCALLUM TO MR. LYTTELTON. (Received February 11, 1905.)
(Confidential. No. 1.)
King's House, Durban, Natal, January 18, 1905.
SIR,
I HAVE the honour to inform you that a number of British tramp steamers, with cargoes of coal for Batavia and other ports in the Far East, are galling at Durban for' bunker coal. When papers are in order and the destination a British port, such as Singapore or Hong Kong, no objection has been made to meeting their requirement. In the case, however, of steamers which have cleared for Batavia, it is generally suspected that the cargoes are destined for either the Russian or the Japanese fleet, and the suspicion is shared by the local agents concerned.
• No. 77.
Attached to 8818: not printed.
§ No. 79.
↑ Nos. 82 ▲ and 83, ¡See No. 105,
GOVERNOR SIR M. NATHAN TO MR. LYTTELTON. (Received 10:48 A.M., February 13, 1905.)
(Paraphrase.)
TELEGRAM
[Copy to Foreign Office, February 15, 1905, L. F.]
F
arrived on the
YOUR telegram of 26th December. The steamer "Sandhurst 11th and clears this afternoon with coal for Sasebo.
Nothing in her proceedings here suspicious, and no evidence that she is acting under orders of Russian fleet,
• No. 62.
[1185]
† No. 81.
No. 52.
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