Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-05-31
Seizure of an American Whaler at the
Falkland Islands.

|
Falkland Islands,
A private letter, dated March nth.
from gentleman belonging to the Uni.
ted States ship of war s.Germantown."
1gives the following particulars of an out
rage on the American whaleship % Hud-
son. By British man Of war
About the 18th Of February ult., dis
patch was received by the Commodore,
then lying at Montevideo, from our COM
mercial agent at the Falkland Island, sta
ting that the captain of whaler, lying
at New Island, the western most of the
group, had been charged by some deser-
ters from his ship. with killing wild hogs,
and that the Government had ordered a
a man-of-war brig to proceed to the Is
land and capture the ship.
This information induced the Commo-
dore to send this ship THE Germ antown'1
down to inquire into the facts-a procee-
ding the more necessary, as no American
ship of war had visited the group for 20
years.
On the Cd we arrived, and learned
that the brig Of war Express had sailed
for New Island to capture the ship. On
the 81 the American schooner Washing
ton, tender TO the whaler, came in
charge of an English lieutenant and six
men, and was at once boarded and brought
to anchor under our guns. The lieuten-
ant, to avoid the diSagreeabe necessity
oil saying that he surrendered, falsely sta
ted that he was not in charge, but merely
put on board TO see the vessel ina de-
Spicable equivocation. On the afternoon
of the same day the brig arrived, having,
in company the whaleship Hudson, Capt.
| Cliff, which ship was also in charge Of an
English Lieutenant. The ship not being
able to enter the middle harbour, was an
chored outside. and on discovering a pen
ant of ship of war; the lieutenant Ian
ded on the nearest berth. leaving on
board only constable having n warrant
for the arrest of Capt. Cliff. We at once
sent on board. restored the captain to his
command, and learned the facts of the
case.
Nearly year since Capt. Cliff killed
some wild hogs on an uninhabited island,
which hogs had been placed there by
himself and others whalin! in that neigh
borhood that they might breed. Several
months subsequent to this the Governor
and Council passed an act imposing a fine
o twenty pounds sterling upon any per-
son who should kill cattle on any part of
these islands; an act which could not ex-
tend to these hO!s-6rst, because they
did not belong to the Falkland Island
Company for whose protection the act was
passed, and secondly because it was er
pos! fuctO. The desertion of a boats crew
brought the knowledge of the killing to
the governor, and writ was issued on the
Il If
Capt. Cliff
Armed with it. and accompanied by
constable to serve the writ, the Express
for New Island. where the Hudson was
lying moored with sails unbent, and seized
not only the captain for whom they had
warrant. but the ship and schooner, make
prisoners of the crews. and took possess
ion OF the ships papers. Capt. Cliff offer
ed to proceed to Stanley in the schooner,
or in the man-of-war, and entreated the
commander of the Empress not to break
up his voyage by removing the ship from
her present secure anchorage Deaf to
all representation. he merely stated that
his orders were to bring the ship and school,
ner and ordered the mate of the ship. Mr..
Leeds, to bend sails and prepare the ship
for sea, under the threat of putting him
in irons if he refused. most attrocious vi
olation of personal liberty, for which Capt.
Boyd and other officers of her Britanic
Majesty's brig Eexpress, deserve to be
branded as pirates.
Fully determined not to interfere in anv
way with the judicial authority, Can't.
Gill appeared before the mag istrate and
was fned $3.50 upon the charge Of kill
ing twenty hogs in August last. No evi.
dence was ordered by the prosecution 9TH
er than the dispositions of the deserters
before named. The Captain offered to
prove by his log that at the time named
he was on the coast of Patagonia but
this petty despot, Mr.. Moutag, refused
TO hear the defendant either BY himself
or counsel, thus committing, under the
color of the law, direct robbery, and
affording US an opportunity of seeing a
specimen Of English Justice. The fine
was subsequently reduce 10 EFT.
1t appears very clearly that this outrage
has been caused solely by their jealousy
OF our having complete possession of the
whale fishery off these islands and una
bic to cope with our hardy fishermen,
they endeavor. by pretty exactions, trum-
ped-up charges, fines and imprisoments,
to drive Oft our whalers. In this case
they went off full of exultation to capture
the I'D Yankees" They return to
lind an American man--of-war in port,
and cap in hand deny any intention Of
violating our rights.
This is not an isolated case-it occurs
frequently; the accounts appear in the
newspapers the indignation is excited
out the owner submits to the indiyuity
ana IoSS' rather than lose time and
money waiting in the ante chambers
OF the authorities for satisfaction daily pro-
missed. but never given.
All he paDerS in the case will he for