Holleben to Note upon Mr. Otin’s dispatch. —This portion of this dispatch I have translated from the Chinese text, in which this word answers to that version. Mr. Otin having showed me the original texts in Spanish, for which he alone is responsible, I can say that the Chinese version is too strong for the Spanish word delacion or accusation, and that he applied it only to the document from Amoy. The inclosures in this correspondence are taken from their original texts, in English, with the exception of the dispatch accompanying the protocol in inclosure 1. The translations from the Chinese are direct.—S. W. W, October 24, 1873

Mr. Holleben to the Foreign Office.

[Not contained in the Chinese.]

To His Imperial Highness Prince Kung, and their excellencies the ministers:

Your imperial highness and their excellencies’ letter to me of the 22d instant, with its inclosures, has been duly received. At the same time I received also the original dispatch addressed to the chargé d’affaires for Spain.

After having consulted with M. Otin, I have now the honor to reply to it, and to inform you that M. Otin has with pleasure taken due note of the friendly sentiments toward the Spanish government expressed in your highness and their excellencies’ dispatch; but as that does not at all enter into the essential points of the pending differences, and as M. Otin must suppose, therefore, that you still adhere to the position taken up in the dispatch of the 13th instant, M. Otin regrets to say that he does not see how he could, in reply to it, allege anything that might serve to alter the pending relations.

I have, &c., &c.,