Moody to Carnarvon (Parliamentary Under-Secretary)

In reply to your Lordship's letter of the 18h
Ultimo

desiring an explanation of the causes which led to the
employment of the three Vessels named in the
margin 

exclusive of the passages via Panama afforded to the detachments
under Captain Parsons and Captain Grant R.E.

I have the honor to report that previous to my appointment,
the Thames City had been engaged and I am unable to state with
certainty how it was she was selected, but I am under the impression you
will find on further investigation (if necessary) at the Admiralty the
War Office and the first movement of the question at the Colonial Office
that it arose somewhat in the following way.

It had been determined to send out to B. Columbia a large
detachment of Officers and Men of the Royal Engineers in number
about 150 and the service being urgent communications were at once
made to War Office and Admiralty for the men and for a passage to
be provided. It was natural to assume they would proceed in the
ordinary way like other troops going out to the Colonies taking
with them only their baggage with arms and ammunition. For this
purpose the Thames City would have been sufficient. After my
appointment when the nature of all our various duties came to be
discussed more at length, and in detail, and the circumstances of
the Colony considered from the further intelligence received, It
was represented to the Secretary of State by myself and others
that to expedite the pressing duties for which Royal Engineers in
particular were selected it was necessary they should be
accompanied by sundry stores and a supply of provisions.

The size of the Thames City was not adequate for this purpose
and it was contemplated at one time by the Secretary of State
to reject her altogether remunerating the owners for the
non-fulfillment of the Contract.

From the enquiries I made I found that the payment would
probably have to be very large and that the loss of time would
be considerable, and being aware of the views of the Secretary of
State under both considerations, Economy and Expedition, I ventured
to recommend that the Thames City should go forward as at first
determined conveying with the men a selection of the most
immediately necessary stores and that another Vessel should
follow with the remainder as quickly as possible.

The Briseis
was at once available and her charges for freight comparatively
low and if we could fill her there would be no delay. She was
accordingly chartered.

In stowing her the Government Goods being all light, and she
having no private heavy goods in her, it was found desirable to
alter the arrangement of sending in her the few men intended to
accompany the stores and to load the space which would have been
taken up for their berths and cabin with stores. I was assured she
would have been unseaworthy otherwise.

Finally provision was made for conveying these five men with
their families in the Euphrates (a vessel advertised to sail for
B. Columbia) together with the ammunition which as a Government
regulation could not have gone in the Briseis without troops.
In consequence of my urgent request to the Secretary of State
it was further determined to send in the Euphrates an additional
supply of Provisions. It was rather an advantage that the Euphrates
with this supply should arrive sometime after the other two vessels.

With respect to the small detachments under Captains Parsons and Grant via Panama. They formed merely an advanced
party and the cost of sending stores with them (beyond their
immediate wants) by that route would have been extremely costly.

With the greatest of deference I beg to submit the above
arrangements under the circumstances were not only unavoidable
but perhaps I may add the best which could have been adopted,
I having made a selection of Stores for the Thames City so that
no practical inconvenience I trust will arise if the period
between the arrival of the T. City & the Briseis does not exceed
a month or 6 weeks. Beyond that time the inconvenience might
be some delay in getting to work efficiently and even the
possibility of this I now fully expect to be able to guard
against by arrangements I shall make in the Colony where I
shall be three months before the arrival of either vessel.