Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Public Offices document
Pennell, Henry Cholmondeley to Fortescue, Chichester 15 July 1861, CO 305:18, no. 6401, 10.
Abstract
Public Offices document.
Minutes (2), Enclosures (untranscribed) (2), Other documents (1).
Pennell advises the Colonial Office that HMS Alert
has claimed
Fannings Islandfor Britain. Colonial Office staff are unimpressed and Elliot minutes
what possible object there can have been in the folly of declaring this Island British I am unable to imagine.
Pennell to Under-Secretary of State
15 July 1861
I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to send you
herewith, for the information of Her Majesty's Secretary of State for
the Colonies, copies of two letters from Rear Admiral Sir T. Maitland
dated the 15th and 24th May last Nos 135 and 144 reporting the
proceedings of the Ships under his orders, and mentioning a Report
that Fannings Island had been taken possession of on the 8th
February last by HMS Alert.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Elliot
It is not stated whether the Commander of the "Alert" had orders from H.M. Govt to take possession of Fannings Island. According to the Directory for the Pacific Ocean this Island wd seem of little value to this Country as a Colony, & is likely to cause more trouble than it is worth.
It is not stated whether the Commander of the "Alert" had orders from H.M. Govt to take possession of Fannings Island. According to the Directory for the Pacific Ocean this Island wd seem of little value to this Country as a Colony, & is likely to cause more trouble than it is worth.
ABd
18 July
Mr Fortescue
Fanning's Island is one of the innumerable and almost useless little coral Islands
in the Pacific Ocean. It is situated at what by a
rough estimate from the map may be described as 300 miles north from
the Fiji Islands, and 1600 miles north from New Zealand, this last
being the nearest British Settlement. What possible object there can
have been in the folly of declaring this Island British I am unable
to imagine.
Fanning's Island is one of the innumerable and almost useless little coral Islands
in the Pacific Ocean. It is situated at what by a
rough estimate from the map may be described as 300 miles north from
the Fiji Islands, and 1600 miles north from New Zealand, this last
being the nearest British Settlement. What possible object there can
have been in the folly of declaring this Island British I am unable
to imagine.
I would propose to answer that the Secretary of State for this
Department has never received the least intimation of any project to
take possession of Fanning's Island, a small and apparently worthless
coral Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and at a distance of
nearly 2000 miles from the nearest British Settlement. I should
request therefore that if their Lordships may know of any
instructions or any motives which may have led to this step, they
will inform the Duke of Newcastle of them, or that if on the other
hand the rumor on the subject should hereafter prove to be unfounded,
they will so apprize this Department.
Other documents included in the file
Rogers to Secretary to the Admiralty, 8 August 1861, asking what
instructions or motives may have led to the claiming of Fanning Island.
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Maitland to Secretary to the Admiralty, 24 May 1861, reporting
the activities of his ships, and mentioning a report in the Honolulu
papers of HMS
Alert having taken possession of Fanning Island.