The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-07-19

TIE commandes II the Jamestown, In Q seuswAaG
diherent light and more clearly than other gentle
men, who we,e merely engaged N civil uls and
profession. We relieved Dir Charles By informing
him that Captain Downing was not 70 be present
The following Is the letter Of Captain Downing to
Mr. 6chenck, referred TO In he evidence Of 6atur
UNITED STATES SHIP JAMESTOWN,
Outer Roads Of Buenos Ayres,
June "a, 1858.
DEAR SIR--Intending TO pay you personal visit,
and hoping from day to day to be 50 1iciently re-
covered to DO so, have deferred writing until the
Il Is not usual In enter into detail, or asse res
sons for the movements Of ships OF war. but "a
bsve no reason TO stand upon ceremony with gen.
tleman who has always been in his intercourse with
me just, as well "a frauk aud coarte0us. Will
trouble you with some matters purely professional,
that you may under stand why am about to take
this ship out Of the river when / am aware one
ought TO be here for many reasons, mono Of which,
however. are sufficiently urgent or apparent to me
II Is more than six months since the carpenter
has reported officially the necessity for caulking
this chip it being Dow nearly three years since 1t
was last done. The fact of her condition was fire.
quenty the subject Of conversation with the late
Commsnderin Chief, but as 1t could not be tho
roughly effected here, II WAS necessarily deferred,
except where 1t has been done much above water II
y impossible to caulk the ship properly anywhere
this side Of Rio de Janeiro. survey has been re-
Gently held on the condition of the ship and the re-
port Is unanimous that il Is ary. for hes pre-
servatio. to caulk soon as practicable. AS she
now 10 she could not be sent to sca on cruise and
must be repaired. The oakum in the seams about
the bows and under her counter Is bare and ex-
posed to the weather, aud In many places loose.
little longer neglect and the ship will rot aud leak
ia sn parts OF her bends. Under these circum-
stances, and the blockade of The port being at IN
end, and no immediate danger to Ee aparehended
and no mme dia'e prospect probability of relief
ana the fever rot being now ut Rio &c Janeiro
have determined to leave as soon az / conveniently
can to return here II no senior captain should arrive
Ia the meantime, anc order otherwise, which, pre-
snme, e will not wncD lie does arrive; and 30 long
as the command Of the station is with me, | sh4
exert myself 70 repair aud report, aud return hero
as eariy a. practicable. In conclusion, have only
to reieat the assurance that fyou desire to return
to Rio, and choose 10 accompany me, will he hap
py to afford you az much comfort as the ship aud
circumstances will enable me tn accomplish. and
what shall always wish, render an opp0rtune SER
vice where know it will be appreciated. I shall
try TO get sea in the course Of eight ten days.
unless something in the meantime should induce me
to believe that il may be necessary to remain at all
hazaI DIS; and it must be perfectly evdeat to Justify
NE In sacrificing this ship, q much laager deten-
iion here undoubtedly will endaaar her. Most
truly. yours, s. ". DOWNING.
To Hon. r. C. SoHENcK, Minister Plenipotentiary,
10