HAYTI.                           609

                              No. 375.
                      Mrr. Bassett to Mr. Fish.
N o 305.]                  LEcATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
                   Port au Prince, May 9, 1874. (Received May 21.)
  SIR: The United States war steamer Kansas came into this harbor
on the afternoon of Sunday, the 26th ultimo, and on the morning of the
27th her gallant commander, Allen V. Reed, and myself went together
to pay our respects to President Sagpt, at the national palace, where we
were cordially received by both his excellency and his ministers.
  Commander Reed informed me that he was not under special orders
to touch at Port au Prince, but as he was obliged to coal here, he was
not ready for sea until the morning of the 1st instant. The first of May
is everywhere in Hayti devoted to the celebration by the authorities,
and especially by the common people, of the agricultural fete. Many
rumors were afloat that there were dangers of popular uprisings, and'
perhaps of an attempt at a coup d'Jtat, on that day. These rumors, un-
der the existing condition of affairs here, naturally caused some uneasi-
ness. I therefore thought it well to suggest to Commander Reed the
desirability of his delaying his departure until the morning of the 2d
instant. He not only readily assented to my suggestion, but said that
he would remain longer "1 if there should be any troubles which would
make the presence of a national vessel necessary or desirable."
  Late on the 2d instant, fortunately no circumstance having arisen to
make his continued presence necessary, he weighed anchor for Caye-
mites, the bay of Aux Cayes, Aquin, Jacinel, and Capei Haytien, to
make in the first three of these localities a survey of reefs and shoals.
  Before leaving, he kindly and voluintarily promised to return to this
port, if I should notify him, during his stay around the island, of any
necessity or desirability tor his presence here.
  Early Wednesday morning, the 6th instant, the Kansas re-entered this
port, and Commander Reed notified me that the cause of his unexpected
return was, that while he was proceeding with his survey at Cayemites,
the officer commanding a neighboring place, called Pestel, appeared and
made such objections to the continuance of his work as induced him to
decide to come to Port au Prince to represent his mission through this
legation to the superior authorities of the government of Hayti.
  We at once repaired to the national palace, where we met the Presi-
dent and his ministers of state, and represented the facts in the case to
the minister of foreign affairs, who listened attentively to our statements,
and said that there should, of course, be no objections made to the mis-
sion of the Kansas, and that if I would send him a brief note of the case,
so that he might read it to his colleagues, he would immediately give it
his attention.
  Within an hour I caused to be handed to him a note (inclosure 1) ex-
plaining the duty on which Commander Reed was sent to Haytian
waters, and asking that such instructions be given as would allow him
to fulfill that mission without interruption or question from the local au-
thorities. And soon after the commencement of afternoon business-
hours the minister responded (inclosure 2) that, his government sym-
pathizing with Commander Reed's mission, the latter could undertake,
whenever he wished, the work intrusted to him in these waters, and that
the department of the interior would not fail to give directions to the
authorities of the designated localities, in order that they might, accord-
ing to need, lend all the concourse which might be demanded of them
for the success of the commander's mission.
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