DIPLOMAT      CORRESPONDENCE.                   299 
within twenty-four hours, and  would not be allowed to take any coal; that
any 
change in his then determination wouldbe.at once communicated to me. About

eight o'clock that night I was informed that coal was ready in boats to go
off to 
the Florida; on my way to ascertain this I met a messenger from the governor

requesting my presence; I went to the castle, and was then told by the gover-

nor that the commander of the Florida, one M 1-orris, stated that he had
only 
seven tons of coal on board, barely enough for cooking purposes, and that
to 
take the vessel to another port he required 110 tons, also bread and water.

The governor suggested that some one should go on board to verify this state-

ment. -Morris declined, and I have reason to believe, from subsequent informa-

tion, that instead of seven tons there were seventy-five tons of coal on
board. 
The governor, taking the statement made by Morris on honor, proposed to give

him sixty tons of coal, water and bread, ordering the Florida to leave the
next 
day, asking my acquiesence, (d'accord.) My reply was that I could not agree

to the supply of one ton of coal under any circumstances; that the Florida'

could sail out of port as readily as any other ship. With regard to water
and 
bread, I begged to remark that the United States government had, from the

outset of the domestic troubles, followed a most humane, generous policy
in 
their efforts to crush the most unprovoked rebellion known in the history
of the 
world, offering a marked contrast to the savage ferocity that had characterized

the conduct of the rebels. Mindful of this, I would not object to the supply
of 
bread, though in strict justice even these ought to be denied tomen roaming

over the ocean solely to destroy unarmed vessels. 
Subsequently the governor decided to allow the Florida to receive twenty

tons of coal, notwithstanding my objections. The foregoing contains the main

points of our conversation. I quite believe that the governor was anxious
to 
send the Florida away without more aid than he considered necessary to enable

the vessel to depart. 
The alleged attempt to coal the Florida clandestinely cannot be proved; three

boats were loaded with about twenty-one tons of coal, moored to a buoy, wait-

ing leave to be sent alongside the Florida--so say the owners. I saw the
boats 
so moored, and know that no coal went off till leave was granted, and then
only 
the twenty tons. 
The Florida anchored east of the St. Louis; got away during the night of

the 29th February; it was very dark, and the wind blowing hard from the 
west. 
The St. Louis left on the morning of the 1st March. The Julia and Con- 
stance, steamers, well-known blockade runners, are in port in a leaky condition,

awaiting orders. 
I have the honor to remain, sir, your obedient servant, 
ROBERT BAYMAN, 
United States Consul ad interim. 
His Excellency JAMES E. HARVEY, 
United States Minister Resident at Lisbon. 
Mr. Harvey to Mr. Seward. 
No. 269.]                       LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, 
Lisbon, April 7, 1864. 
SiR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt'of your despatch, No. 129,

and to express my acknowledgments for the courteous and complimentary terms

in which you have conveyed the ,President's approval and commendation"
of 
:my conduct in the mratter of the apprehended equipment of certain rebel
cruisers 
...in Portuguese ports.    .