New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-06-14
KEY WEST CORRESPONDENCE.
KY WEST june 6 1858

vi kEY WEST, june G, 1858.
i Eds. Cssscenf--The U. S. steamer Water witch
Lieutenant Commanding. John Rogers, arrived a
| this port yesterday, Eve days ffom Norfolk, va
touching for supply OF coal We cannot learn tn
real object Of her cruise. AS abe has but one gun,
cannot be beligerent one She will proceed b
Havana, and, rumor says, win then go in search 0
the Styx. Lieut. Rogers had an opportunity o
visiting the British gunboat Jasper, Lieut. PyH, tina
entered the harbor last evening, just after sunset
WHAT he learned on.board be viii doubtless communi
cate to the Secretary Of the Navy by this steamer
The Jasper sails at daylight. From one Of her off
GERS we learn that another gunbcat was sgnalzed by
her off this port on the I'd inst.
The U. 8. Marshal has seized the brig Huntress
lately arrived from Cuba, on the charge of being
fitted out as SLAYER at Charleston, s c. The cast
will be tried on the l4th Of June.
The o. 8. mail steamer Atlantic Capt. Talbot, ar
rived the evening Of the I'd from Tampa and Point
Riyas, with Companies H and B, LIST Artillery, IN
command Of Capts Brannon and Seymour. The for
remain here to garrison the port, and Capt Sey
mour's company will proceed to Charleston, to &C
cupy Fort Moultrie.
| The marine news is not important.
The brig Starr, Capt. Hutchins, from Cienfugas fol
Philadelphia, with molasses, ran ashore on Grecian
Shosl the night of the 25th, and was obliged to re-
ceve assistance from the wreckers the following day
She was got off after being discharged of 4s hhds
The captain paid the wrecking vessels s. 600, and
then sailed for his port Of destination.
The schooner Ike Marvel, Eldridge, from New Or.
leans for Martinique, with load Of provisions, ar
rived yesterday morning in distress. She had expe-
renced heavy weather the LIST inst when off Tor
tugas, and sprung mainmast, split main and foresa
lost maintopsa, jb, and was obliged to seek this
port for repairs.
Brig Brigham, Shannon, arrived from Pensacola on
the slst
The schooner Eben, Sawyer, from Kingston, ia,
bound 10 New York, has arrived here.
The ship Sultan has hauled OFF into the stream,
and will await the action Of her owners. In heavy
storm, on the night Of the 22d, she was struck by
lightning. No great damage was done.
The ship Richmond, Gookin sails for Boston on the
9Th; ship Rockland, Brown, sails about the 10th
ship Commodore, Capt. Bliss, from Boston 2eth nlt,
is loading with cargo from the ship Rockland, and
will sail about the 18th.
The O. S. schooner Pharos, Yerka, sails this eve
ming for Philadelphia.
Brig Monserrat, Nichols, sailed for jacksonville on
the 2lst Expenses on cargo, including salvage,
S5,2s7 81; vessel, sls2 IS total, S., 470 10.
SP0KBs.-Of Key West, brig Julia, OF and from
Boston, for Galveston IL days also, bark Trinity,
Of Boston, bound west also, ship Pacific from New
York for New Orleans, 10 days out bark Ellen,
from Philadelphia, l6 days out for New Orleans
also, schooner G. A. Tuttle from Philadelphia for
Pensacola.
Ship Fanny Fosdiok, 10 days from New York, for
New Orleans, passed Sand Key on the 10th also,
bark DELLA.
Hno ota =.
port at noon of the 4th, bound into the Gulf with
dispatches from the Admiral for the commander Of
the Styx The question now most interesting to the
Key West people, viz, whether the British men-of-
war are acting under recent instructions from their
Government in American vessels, has been answered
in the negative by Lieut. Pym, at least as far as be
is concerned. His instructions are identical with
those under which he crused three years ago on the
coast OF Africa, which were dated 1S49. Treaties
exist between Great Britain and France, Spain, Por
tugal and Brazil by which British cruisers are per
mitted to board and examine merchant vessels of
those nations and tiee versa. Lieut.. Pym thinks,
therefore, that in order to claim exemption from
search American vessels should show their coIors
Merchant vessels are not, as such, exempt from
search but only as American vessels But il vessels
at sea win not show their colors, how can their
u
coors is fired nto no national rights are invaded, as
no nationality is proclaimed.
Lieut.. Ppm says that American merchantmen fire.
quenty refuse to show their colors unless compelled
to do SO, or merely them up to the masthead let
them remain a moment. and then haul them down.
This he thinks leads to the superstition that the yes
sci has no right to the coors exhibited and that she
displays them merely to alay suspicion and escape
being boarded.
Lieut.. P. has read the various newspaper accounts
Of vessels being boarded by British cruisers and says
that they are mostly very much exaggerated. The
schooner Creole, whose case has been reported, is an
instance of this. She at first displayed the American
flag, but upon being boarded, the captain threw it
overheard and also his papers, and then declared that
he was Spaniard. This was done evidently to es-
cape punishment by the laws of the United States,
which In such cases are very severe. Contraband
articles were found board the vessel which proved
her beyond doubt to be SLAYER and as such she has
been condemned.
Has not the extraordinary activity of the British
men-ofwar in the Gulf of Mexico been caused By the
following circumstances Some time since the com.
mander of the gunboat Jasper ascertained that
large ship was fitting out in Havana as a SLAYER He
watched until she came out into the Gulf, and after
following her some distance overhauled her and Gem
PEELED her to heave to. This was not accomplished
until seventeen shots had been fired into her. She
was boarded aud her intentions clearly proved. She
was Of course a prize, and the ship and stores,
together with $500 dubloons which were given up by
the captain, netted the captors the handsome sum Of
100000 The share of the commander OF the Jas
per- even after the prize had been shared with the
steamer Styx, amounted to $1,000 Is it not proba
BILE that the avidty Of the English cruisers has been
stimulated by this capture and that they have been
prompted by this alone to commit the outrages
which have caused the great indignation of our Gov
eminent aud people.
P.s.-The schooner Isabel, Rollins, from Charles
ton, ran upon the Washerwoman shoal, fifteen miles
east OF this city yesterday afternoon 10th nst) and
did not get off until o'clock this morning. She
received assistance from the wreekers who took out
60 hhds. rice and the Key West freight.
Later from Havana.
ARRIVAL. or THE STEAMSUTP ENfpTu ftTv