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Captain Hand. He told me I had better go to the British Consul and try and induce him to come on baard the ' Eoyalist' so that they might discuss the affair, as he believed a serious outrage had been committed by the Germans. Seeing that the Germans were stopping all boats leaving the ' Richmond,' Captain Hand sent me on shore in one of the ' Eoyalist's' boats in charge of an officer, and he also despatched an officer and boat's crew to the 'Richmond' to prevent the Germans from again boarding her. I proceeded to the British Consul and returned with him to the ' -Royalist,' when, along with Captain Hand, we discussed the matters in respect of which I had made formal complaint. The result was that Captain Hand told me he considered a most serious outrage had been committed by the Germans, and that he would demand the return of Mr. Gelling, and, if necessary, take steps to compel his return. From this interview I returned to the shore and went to the German Consulate, and requested the German Consulate to allow me to go on board the German man-of-war ' Adler ' and see Mr. Gelling. I also told the German Consul the circumstances of the case, and showed that in visiting Mataafa's camp Mr. Gelling had had no intention of doing wrong. The German Consul said that he had got this man in his power and intended to make an example of him—that he intended to send him to Sydney to the German Consul there, and that possibly he would be forwarded thence to Germany. At any rate, he was fully determined, he said, to have him deported to Sydney, there to await further orders. I reminded the German Consul that he had this man, who was a British subject, taken from the deck of a British vessel, in defiance of the protest of the captain, and notwithstanding the fact that the Court of the British Consul was open at Samoa for the trial of any alleged offence. But the German Consul said, in effect, that he took the responsibility for everything, and that if the German Government had made a mistake in this case they could afford to pay for it. I also understood from the German Consul that Mr. Gelling had been tried by a German court-martial; that lie had been convicted of an offence against military law in visiting Maatafa's camp and giving him moral assistance (in the shape of advice, as I understood) ; and that, as a consequence, he would be deported. The German Consul was writing out an order permitting me to visit Mr. Gelling, when the captain of the German warship ' Adler' arrived, and said, ' I have released the prisoner, and you need not go as far as my ship, Mr. Edenborough, to find him. You will find him on board the " Richmond." ' The Consul said, ' What do you mean ? ' Captain Fritze replied, 'In the exercise of my discretion I have released the prisoner.' I subsequently ascertained that Mr. Gelling was tried by court-martial on board H.I.G.M.S. ' Adler ' at 10 o'clock, convicted of the offence imputed to him, and sentenced ; but that afterwards —about noon—he was released upon the representations of the captain of the ' Royalist.' During my absence from the ' Richmond' part of the goods we had brought for Mr. Moors, and which had already been searched on board the ' Richmond,' had been put into his lighter and were being taken to shore, when they were seized again by the Germans. Mr. Moors thereupon wrote me a letter refusing to receive the goods on any terms, and throwing them back on the hands of our firm. I then went to the German Consulate, and the German Vice-Consul, in the absence of his chief, having consulted with the head of the German business house, told me to hand over the goods to the German firm, who would take delivery of them. I did so. During the whole of this day—Monday, the 21st of January—finding that, owing to the action of the German authorities no other course was open to us, we had been engaged in landing the ' Richmond's' cargo, under protest, at the German wharf. There they were searched by the German sailors and by the warehousemen of the German trading firm. I asked the searching officer if any contraband of war had been found, and he told me that absolutely nothing of the kind had been found. By the time the whole of the goods had been searched it was so late that the pilot refused to take the ' Richmond' out of port till the following morning. So that, through the action of the German authorities, we were prevented from leaving Samoa on Sunday, the 20th of January, at 11 a.m., which was our advertised time of departure, and were thereby delayed until Tuesday, the 22nd of January. Moreover, from 1.30 a.m. on the 19th of January until we were clear of our moorings on Tuesday, the 22nd of January, we were, as already indicated, constantly under the close surveillance of the German guard-boats. During that time they were never absent from the neighbourhood of the " Richmond" for a moment. Before leaving Samoa I wrote to the German Consul a letter, of which the following is a true copy : — " ' Sin, — " ' British Steamer " Richmond," Apia, Samoa, 21st January, 1889. "'We beg most respectfully to bring to your notice that, owing to the action considered necessary to be taken by the Imperial German authorities in respect to our steamer " Richmond " on her arrival at this port, we have been subjected to much delay in carrying out our lawful business, causing us very considerable inconvenience and loss. It is impossible for us at the present moment to come to an estimate of the amount of damage caused us by the search to which our cargo has been subjected at the hands of the German naval authorities, as many of the consignees have declined to pay us until, upon further examination', they find whether their goods have been damaged or not. " ' These particulars we hope to be able to lay before you upon the next arrival of the " Richmond" at this port. In the meantime we would most respectfully intimate that we consider we have claims upon you under the following heads : (1.) All detention of our steamer after 11 a.m., Sunday, 20th January. (2.) Any damage caused by searching and opening goods, &o. (3.) Loss on goods thrown back upon our hands by our clients refusing to take them over after having been opened and searched. (4.) All loss of whatsoever kind caused by our non-arrival at our destination or other ports of call at our due date, &c. " ' A note of protest embodying these claims has been lodged by the master of " Richmond " in the usual manner in the hands of the British Consul at this port. " ' Trusting that you will consider our claim as just and reasonable, especially as we have not heard of any contraband of war being found among our cargo, or any just cause for suspecting that any such was concealed on board our vessel, "' We beg to remain, &c, - "'Donald and Edenborough, " ' Dr. Knappe, Imperial G-grman Consul, Apia, Samoa.' " ' Owners s.s. " Richmond." ' " Having completed our voyage by calling at Tahiti, Rarotonga, and Tonga, we returned in the said steamer ' Richmond ' to Auckland early on-the morning of Thursday, the 14th of February, 1889. The same day, in company with the said Alexander Bell Donald, one of my said partners in the firm of Donald and Edenborough, I appeared and attended before the said William Coleman, Notary Public, and, on behalf of myself and my said firm and the members thereof, noted this protest and