The Alabama, on June 25th, burnt a British ship, the
Martaban, near Moulmein, in the Bay of Bengal. She had British papers, signed by the authorities at Moulmein, and was owned by Mr. Riddell Currie. It appears that the vessel was originally American, and called the Texan Star ; and Captain Semmes' contention, through an agent at Singapore, is that the sale to a British owner was not bond fide, and that the papers were only obtained to give the transaction a colour. He even produces a deposition from Captain Pike to this effect. Captain Pike, on the other hand, totally denies that he gave any such deposition. The matter will, doubtless, be carefully inquired into ; and as the outrage was com- mitted within Sir John Lawrence's jurisdiction, Captain Semmes, if the Martaban was really in possession of British papers, is likely to find his career cut short.
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