§ Mr. HOUSTONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he has any information showing that the British steamer "Van Dyke," with a valuable cargo, captured by a German cruiser some months ago on the coast of South America, is now in Hamburg or other German North Sea port; and, if so, can he state how she arrived there?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI have no information as to the whereabouts of this vessel.
§ Major MEYSEY-THOMPSONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he can state the total number of British merchant ships detained, captured, or destroyed by the enemy from the beginning of the present War up to date; is the official statement that during the war with France, 1793 to 1814, there were 10,871 British merchant ships captured or destroyed by the enemy, drawn from any Admiralty or other British official records, or is it founded upon unofficial records derived from French sources; and is there official information disproving the accuracy of Lloyd's Official Record, which gives the number of British merchant ships captured or sunk by the enemy during the period 1793 to 1814 as 7,353?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe answer to the first part of the question is 166 up to the 10th March. With regard to the remainder of the question, the number quoted in my statement in the House on the 15th February was based on information mainly derived from French official sources, from which it may be judged that Lloyd's figures are incomplete.