PARKES, Her Majesty’s Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in Japan to A. L. C. Portman, December 27, 1865

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Sir: In consequence of my absence from Yokohama I only received, on my return on the evening of the 25th instant, your letter of the 30th ultimo, desiring me to communicate to Admiral King your thanks for the accommodation supplied to you On board her Majesty’s steamship Pelorus, in the absence of a vessel of war of your own government, during the recent expedition of the representatives of England, France, the United States of America, and Holland, to Osacca bay.

I am sure it will be very gratifying to Admiral King to receive this cordial acknowledgment of the assistance which he and Captain Haswell were able to offer you on this occasion, and I have no doubt that it will also afford her Majesty’s government much satisfaction to learn that her Majesty’s officers have had it in their power to render to the United States representative a service of this nature, as being not only in entire unison with the friendly feelings entertained by her Majesty’s government towards that of the United States, but also calculated to prove to the Japanese government that unity of action for the purpose of securing the fulfilment of treaties continues to be intimately preserved between the representatives of the four powers.

I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,