Darling to Right Honorable E. Cardwell, M. P, March 21, 1866

Governor Sir Charles H. Darling to Mr. Cardwell.

Sir: I have the honor to inform you, in reply to your despatch No. 8, of the 20th January, that I saw the officer commanding the Shenandoah upon only one occasion. That occasion was the celebration of divine service in the church which I attend habitually.

I did not know who the stranger was until I received information on the subject. After the conclusion of the service he called to pay his respects to me at my office in Melbourne I had not arrived at the office, and he left his card. He did not repeat his visit, and I have ever exchanged a syllable orally with that gentleman. After this statement, I need scarcely say that I was not entertained, either publicly or privately, by him on board his vessel, and that he was not entertained in any way by me I am certain that none of my ministers either offered to, or received from, him any attentione.

Captain Waddell and his officers were, I am aware, entertained at a dinner party at the Melbourne Club. This dinner was not given by the club, but by certain members of that association. I believe that some persons in the service of the civil government were among the hosts on this occasion. The entertainment, however, was a private one.

Some of the officers of the Shenandoah proceeded to Ballarat, I believe, upon invitation to attend a subscription ball. They were most enthusiastically received at that place, as they were by the commercial body of Melbourne generally. The gentleman whose name is represented by a blank in Mr. Temple’s statement was no doubt a southern citizen who had been the American consul in Melbourne.

If any functionary answering to the description of the English government engineer visited the Shenandoah, I am sure it was for the purpose of inspecting the progress of the work, and informing the government of the prospect of being relieved of the presence of the vessel.

It is quite possible, of course, that he made suggestions by which he thought that this object would be more speedily accomplished; but my impression is that the person alluded to is the engineer or shipwright who was employed by Captain Waddell, under the permission to repair which he received from me.

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I have, &c., &.,