Corry to Merivale (Permanent Under-Secretary)
Immediate
Admiralty
5 October 1858
Sir,
I am commanded by my Lords Commissrs of the Admiralty to request you will state to Secretary Sir Bulwer Lytton that in accordance with the suggestions contained in your letter of the 1st Instant to the War Department, 1 My Lords have endeavoured to arrange better terms with the owners of the Thames City and Briseis for landing the Royal Engineers, and stores at, Fraser's River instead of at Vancouver's Island; but by a communication (copy of which is enclosed) from the Brokers, it appears that they are unwilling to submit to any reduction of their previous reward, and require thatsuchManuscript image such additional services be absolute, and not conditional on arrangements out in British Columbia. Under these circumstances it is for the Secretary of State to decide whether the offer be definitively accepted at once; or the removal of the Men and Stores from Vancouver's Island, be left to the means which may probably be afforded by Her Majestys Ships, several of which it is anticipated will be in the neighbourhood by the time the two arrive.
I am etc.
H. Corry
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
Mr Merivale
I pass on to you this day the papers which have reference to this Letter. See 10081. 2 Under these circes I think we had better leave the removal of the Stores &c from Victoria to Fraser's River to chance Ships of H.M. Navy; & request the Admiralty to direct the Naval Officers on the Station to render all the help inManuscript image their power to the 'Engineer' party on effecting such removal. Perhaps it may turn out after all that it will be best for the Stores &c to have them desposited at a safe depôt at Victoria than in damp rude huts on the Main-land. We must hope the best.
ABd 5 Octr
Mr Blackwood
This was marked "immediate" but not placed in my hand as such—I have no doubt you are right. Please to annex draft.
HM O 6
Other documents included in the file
Manuscript image
Draft, Merivale to Secretary to the Admiralty, 9 October 1858, Immediate, declining to have the Thames City go to Fraser River and requesting Admiralty assistance to move stores from Vancouver Island to British Columbia.
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Manuscript image
Shaw, Savill & Co. 3 to Comptroller of Transport Services, Admiralty, stating that the owners of the Thames City could not accept lower terms for service to Fraser River because of the risk of desertion by crew and added insurance costs.
Footnotes
  1. A draft of this letter appears in Storks to Merivale (Permanent Under-Secretary), 1 October 1858, 9977, CO 60/2, p. 372.
  2. "> See Storks to Merivale (Permanent Under-Secretary), 2 October 1858, 10081, CO 60/2, p. 380.
  3. Shaw, Savill and Company were ship and insurance brokers with offices at 23 Leadenhall Street, London. Their letterhead advertized "The Passenger Line of Packets, for New Zealand, British Columbia, &c." (Enclosure with Moody to Carnarvon (Parliamentary Under-Secretary), 1858, 10315, CO 60/3, p. 320. In 1873 they had moved their office to 34 Leadenhall Street and listed themselves as shipping agents, specializing in goods and general merchandise from Manchester and Birmingham to the West Indies, Cape, and other ports. EMIL ?? (1873) p. 126. Were they also ship owners??
People in this document

Blackwood, Arthur Johnstone

Corry, Henry Thomas Lowry

Lytton, Sir Edward George Earle Bulwer

Merivale, Herman

Vessels in this document

Briseis

Thames City, 1856

Places in this document

British Columbia

Fraser River

London

Vancouver Island

Victoria

Corry, Henry Thomas Lowry to Merivale, Herman 5 October 1858, CO 60:2, no. 10184, 21. The Colonial Despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871, Edition 2.0, ed. James Hendrickson and the Colonial Despatches project. Victoria, B.C.: University of Victoria. https://bcgenesis.uvic.ca/B585AD11.html.

Last modified: 2020-03-30 13:22:16 -0700 (Mon, 30 Mar 2020) (SVN revision: 4193)