J. P. O’Meara to George Futvoye, January 18, 1885

Mr. O’Meara to Mr. Futvoye

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th instant, with enclosures from the collector of customs, port of Montreal, with a request I would return it at my early convenience, with such further information as I may be able to furnish on the subject-matter thereof.

In reply, I have the honor to state that I measured the steamers recently referred to, namely, the Almandares and Pinero, in Montreal, in the month of November last. They were represented so me by Mr. Cantin, the builder, as being intended to carry passengers, and were then being fitted up for that purpose. I saw nothing at the time which could have led me to suspect that they were intended for any other purpose than that represented to me by the builder, and in fact I remember remarking to Mr. Cantin that from the way in which they were being fittted up at the time with cane beds, &c., they appeared admirably adapted for the purpose for which he represented them to be built, viz: carrying passengers in the tropics.

I have, &c.,