Honorable J. C. Davis,
Assistant Secretary of State,
Washington.

Sir:
　On the 8th instant Captain Boswell arrived at this port with dispatches from Governor Low and Admiral Rodgers. Among these were two which were to be forwarded by telegraph. A copy of the one from Governor Low, I append to this dispatch. Of the other[s], from Admiral Rodgers, I have no copy. Unfortunately a break has occurred in the cable between this and Hong Kong, and the dispatches had to be sent by mail to the latter port. From thence I trust they will go through by telegraph. They would reach Hong Kong on the 14th instant, and may be in Washington on the 16th or 18th.
　Captain Boswell had instructions to charter a steamer and to take back coals and provisions for the fleet. He secured a small vessel, the “Millet,” belonging to the Shanghai Steam Navigation Company, and sailed hence on the morning of the 11th. He carried with him four officers of the Ashuelot (now under repairs here) and four of her guns. The Admiral had already the crew of that ship with him.
　The Admiral’s telegram was very full. From it and from the dispatches which go forward by this opportunity I suppose you will be put in possession of the material facts attending the opening of negotiations in Corea. I however extract all that has appeared in our local prints and forward it for what it may be worth.
　There is a very general feeling here that now the Coreans have shown fight and a collision has occurred. The United States cannot honorably withdraw the fleet until the purposes of the expedition have been accomplished.
　Of what may be consistent with the honor of the United States Government that Government can better judge than these communities.
　There is also a feeling which is very strong that the withdrawal of the fleet would lessen Western prestige and materially strengthen the anti-foreign party in China. I am not sure that this would not be the case, and yet unwilling to believe that even those Chinese leaders who are unable to read the course of events in their own country would fail to learn that our expedition was sent to Corea for a peaceful purpose, and having well avenged the attack of the moment, we are under no obligation to make a war on that country, or to know that a demonstration intended simply to give dignity to our negotiations, is not the measure of our warlike capacity.
　There is only one point upon which I am disposed to criticise the conduct of the expedition. I do not know why the surveying should have been pushed forward so rapidly. When Captain Febiger of the Shenandoah was in the Corean waters in 1868, he undertook work of the same sort and was fired upon. It might have been expected then that until the Corean Government had been communicated with, and its assent procured, any attempt to survey would be similarly met.

I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your obedient servant,
George F. Seward,
Consul General