Amos Perry to Charles F. Adams, July 5, 1863

Mr. Perry to Mr. Adams

Sir: I have received information from the consul of the United States at Teneriffe (Canary islands) to the effect that a very suspicious craft called the Keang-Soo, bearing the Chinese flag and pennant, and purporting to be a Chinese man-of-war, was at that port on the 10th and 11th of June, on her way from the Clyde to China, as she said. She was officered and manned by Englishmen, carried six guns, with a crew of one hundred and ten seamen, and was an exceedingly swift craft. The consul believes her to be a new confederate cruiser, and that, he reports, was the general opinion in the island.

The ship having no bill of health, and her flag being unknown to the local authorities, she was not admitted to pratique, but took one hundred tons of coals in quarantine and proceeded on her voyage.

Her officers said at Teneriffe that more vessels under the same flag were now fitting out in England, and would also call at Teneriffe for coals. The consul wrote immediately to the government at Washington, and I hasten to put this matter in your knowledge for such effect as you may think proper to give it in England.

Would it not be well to advise the captain of some one of our national vessels to proceed to the Canary islands, in the hope of overhauling one of these crafts?

I have no ship for this service near me; an old sailing sloop at Cadiz is the only man-of-war in Spanish ports. Perhaps you may know of a steam sloop or gunboat near your legation. Perhaps you may know also that these crafts are really intended for service in China, where, I am told, our English friends do not see two belligerents, but only a legitimate government and a rebellion, which it is quite proper for them to aid in suppressing.

Whether Chinese or confederate, will not these ships be transferred to the rebel service in the eastern seas? Is there not a fleet of them collecting in those distant seas, either to destroy our commerce or to come back in force upon our unprotected Pacific coast, or even to undertake some bold enterprise in the Atlantic ports, or in the gulf of Mexico?

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,