March 2, 1864
San Francisco
Lodge1 PDF, p. 9
To the British Consul Callao
Sir,
I wrote you last mail and enclosed a printed list of bars belonging to me. They are all of the French & English treasure in the ship. T.E. all that insured in London and Paris. I now enclose the same list with a manuscript list of the bars belonging to American interests and the owners are willing to pay the same amount of reward that I have offered to anyone who enables them to recover their property. I also enclose a photograph of the man Cook (alias) Herman, who is supposed to have gone from Callao with a considerable part of the stolen treasure.
There is a man named Johnstone with many alias’s who is about leaving here & I’ve suspect he is intimately connected to Cook. In fact he was the diver that assisted Cook himself being the other diver. Should you be able to get possession of any of the treasure & my presence is necessary to establish ownership I will at your requisition or by your choice come to Callao.
You can address me care of the British consul at this port.
I am sir, your obedt. sert. (obedient servant)
Francis W. Lodge
Special agent for the Salvage Association at Lloyd’s London
P.S. In case of my last communication not having reached you, the ship herein alluded to is the steam ship “Golden Gate” beached on the Mexican Coast in July 1862. The treasure pirated in the 1863 part of which I supposed was carried to Callao early in 1864 by Cook (alias) Herman.
Revision: 10/31/2010