Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Public Offices document
Corry, Henry Thomas Lowry to Merivale, Herman 18 April 1859, CO 60:5, no. 4158, 354.
Abstract
Public Offices document.
Minutes (2).
Corry reports that the gun boats ordered to the Fraser River have been detained by “unforeseen delays.”
The minutes “do not see any satisfactory reply.”
Corry to Merivale (Permanent Under-Secretary)
Admiralty
18 April 1859
Sir
With reference to Mr Elliots Letter of the 16th
April, expressing the thanks of Secretary Sir E.B. Lytton
for the Services of the Seamen and Marines sent to prevent
disturbances in Fraser's River; and stating that the arrival of
the main body of the Engineer Force and of the Gun Boats in
British Columbia will relieve Her Majesty's Ships "Satellite"
and Plumper from duties which necessity alone has compelled
the Governor to ask their Commanding Officers to undertake;
I am commanded 
by My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to
state, for the information of Sir E.B. Lytton, that
unforeseen delays have detained the Gun Boats but that they
will shortly be ordered to proceed to Vancouver Island—also
that My Lords desire to draw attention to the great
inconvenience resulting from the Employment of the Crews of
Her Majesty's Ships on duties which ought properly to devolve
on the Civil Power of the Colony.
by My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to
state, for the information of Sir E.B. Lytton, that
unforeseen delays have detained the Gun Boats but that they
will shortly be ordered to proceed to Vancouver Island—also
that My Lords desire to draw attention to the great
inconvenience resulting from the Employment of the Crews of
Her Majesty's Ships on duties which ought properly to devolve
on the Civil Power of the Colony.
Minutes by CO staff
Lord Carnarvon
The Admiralty protest against our employment on shore of the Naval Crews—and yet do not fulfil the requisition made on them privately months ago for the gun boats. Do you not think it wd be best to take no notice of this Letter?
The Admiralty protest against our employment on shore of the Naval Crews—and yet do not fulfil the requisition made on them privately months ago for the gun boats. Do you not think it wd be best to take no notice of this Letter?
ABd
19/Ap
I agree—I do not see that any satisfactory reply can be made
to this. As regards the employment of the crews of the ships
stationed at V. Couver's I. & in those waters the internal
condition of the country is too insecure and the force under
the Govr too unreliable to admit of any great relief being afforded.
C
Apl 19