captured seven ships and 115 men, and broke up two expeditions.

He goes into the close examination of sixty expeditions which Spain
complains of.

Twenty of these he shows were stopped through the efforts of the
Treasury, five by the United States Navy, four by Spain, two were
wrecked, and one driven back by storm. One which is laid to our credit
the Secretary declines to acknowledge as belonging to us at all.

Of the successful expeditions, Mr. Gage points out that much was due to
the weakness of the Spanish patrol. In all the cases where the offenders
have been caught, he shows that they have either been punished or are
awaiting trial.

Concerning the case of the _Silver Heels_, the Secretary says that the
Collector of the Port of New York informed him that a representative of
the Spanish Consul stated to him that he did not desire the vessel to be
seized at the dock, but captured after departure therefrom. It was not,
therefore, so much negligence on the part of the Government, as speed on
the part of the _Silver Heels_, which enabled her to slip away from her
pursuers.

While we are on the subject of the _Silver Heels_, it will interest you
to know that she has been taken into custody.

She arrived at Wilmington the other day, and was at once seized by the
collector of that port.

An examination was made of the vessel, but nothing was found on board to