Affairs of the East India Company: Appendix B No. 42

No.42. - Letter from John Backhouse Esq. to George Bankes Esq. dated 15th May 1829.

Sir,

With reference to a Request made by Lord Ellenborough in October 1828, and to my Letter of the 10th of February last, I am directed by Lord Aberdeen to transmit to you, for the Information of Lord Ellenborough, a Statement, which has been received from His Majesty's Acting Consul General at Washington, of the Number of Vessels belonging to the United States which have cleared out from Ports in that Country for Ports beyond the Cape of Good Hope in each Year since 1813.

I am, Sir,

Your most obedient humble Servant,

(Signed) J. Backhouse.

(Enclosure, No. 1.)

Letter from John M'Tavish Esq. Acting Consul General at Washington, to John Bidwell Esq. dated 23d March 1829.

Sir,

In Obedience to The Earl of Aberdeen's Direction, conveyed to me in your Letter of 2d October 1828, I have now the Honour to transmit, for his Lordship's Information, a List of the Number of Vessels belonging to the United States which have cleared from their Ports for Ports beyond the Cape of Good Hope in each Year since 1813.

It was only Yesterday that I received the necessary Information from the Ports of Salem and Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, to enable me to complete the inclosed Document; a Circumstance which will account for the Delay that has attended its Transmission to the Foreign Office.

It was found impracticable to obtain any Return of The East India Trade of New York previously to 1820, or of that of Philadelphia beyond the Year 1821; I have therefore, as you will discover, substituted in Red Ink hypothetical Returns for the absent Periods, founded upon an Average declared from the Trade of the subsequent Years; 1814 being the last Year of the War, I have left the Line appropriated to it blank.

I propose forwarding a Duplicate of the inclosed List by the Packet for Liverpool, to sail from New York on the 1st of April.

I have the Honour to be, Sir,

Your obedient humble Servant,

for Anthony St. John Baker,

John M'Tavish.

(Enclosure, No. 2.)

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