craft or fishing smack called the Colonel Long above mentioned put into that place, and the master in consideration of their assisting him to gather a quantity of limes agreed to carry them to Charleston. They accordingly left Miami in this vessel taking with them a letter from the mate of the Prima Donna to Her Majesty's consul at Charleston, now in my possession.

Perry was a seaman on board the British bark Sir Walter Raleigh, also wrecked on the 15th of August on the Florida Reefs. He was for seven days on a raft from which he was taken in an exhausted state by a Mr. Johnston belonging to Miami, who carried him to his house and treated him very humanely for a week, when he embraced the opportunity of reaching Charleston in company with the other seamen of the Colonel Long, but which was captured on the way thither as above mentioned. This poor man is still in a weak and miserable condition, having suffered severely from bruises and injuries during and subsequent to his shipwreck.

I have further to report that the whole of these nine men are kept continually in irons. They from part of the number of twenty-seven men who occupy one room - a casemate - the dimensions of which Lieutenant Wood informed me were ten feet wide, thirty feet long and about eight feet high.

I have the honor to request that your lordship will be so good as to bring the foregoing facts under the notice of the United States Government.

I feel satisfied that a knowledge of the circumstances which I have above detailed cannot but be followed by an order for the discharge of these poor men, some of whom have survired the perils of shipwreck only to be made prisoners while attempting to reach an asylum, and all of whom have been actuated by no more criminal motive than that of a desire to return to their native country.

I have, &c.,

E. M. ARCHIBALD.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 23, 1861.

Right Honorable Lord LYONS, &c.

MY LORD: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of yesterday inviting my attention to an accompanying copy of a dispatch addressed to you by Her Britannic Majesty's consul at New York relative to certain British subjects now imprisoned in Fort Lafayette and to state in reply that orders have been given for their release.

I have the honor to be, with high consideration, your lordship's obedient servant,

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 23, 1861.

Colonel MARTIN BURKE, Fort Hamilton, N. Y.

COLONEL: You are hereby authorized to discharge William Simms, William Williams, Joseph Clifton, Richard Revel, Bernard Coogan, William Smith, John Angus, Charles McClenaham and William Perry, detained as prisoners at Fort Lafayette, N. Y., who are understood to be British subjects.

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant,

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.