[Translation.]
Mr. Stoeckl to Mr. Seward
Washington,
February 8–20,
1868.
Mr. Secretary of State: To give sequence to the
note which I had the honor to address to you on the 16–28th December
last, I hasten to subjoin hereto copies of two letters which have just
reached me, on the subject of the conflict which might have happened
between the American whaler Java and a Russian vessel in the Sea of
Okhotsk.
Please accept, Mr. Secretary of State, the assurance of my very high
consideration.
Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.
Translation of a letter from Vice-Admiral
Krabbé, minister of marine to Prince Gortchakow, chancellor of
the empire, dated St. Petersburg, January 4–16,
1868.
In reply to the note your excellency did me the honor to address to
me, I hasten to inform you that I do not find in the department of
marine any trace of instructions given to our cruisers to take any
restrictive measures touching the whale fishery in the Sea of
Okhotsk.
As to the conflict which may have had place between an American
whaler and a Russian vessel in the Sea of Okhotsk, the department,
thus far, has no information.
I have the honor, &c., &c.
Translation of a letter from H. E. de Kersakoff,
governor-general of Oriental Siberia, to his excellency Mr. de
Westmann, assistant to the minister for foreign affairs, dated
St. Petersburg, January 12–24, 1868, No. 1501.
After receiving the letter of your excellency dated January 7–19, I
addressed a telegram to the chief authorities at Irkourtsk, to send
me what information they had on the supposed conflict of our sloop
of war Aleoute with the American whaler Java. I was answered that no
news on the subject had reached them from Nicholaeffsky.
In consequence, I hasten to write to the military governor of the
maritime province of Oriental Siberia, requesting him to inform me
of the facts connected with the incident before cited.
I have the honor, &c.
