Colonial Despatches

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.

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.

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.

Rogers to Secretary to the Admiralty, 8 August 1861, asking what instructions or motives may have led to the claiming of Fanning Island.

Maitland to Secretary to the Admiralty, 15 May 1861, reporting the disposition of the ships under his command.

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.