Heavy rain all day so that I did not stir out of the house. Busy writing numerous despatches of a secondary character but the principal one I could not get ready as292 the deposition was delayed until two o’clock and after it came, needed to be sent back to supply the most material statements, so that it was not possible to get the papers up for the bag. I wrote a short note to my son Charles, which was all I could do. After the deposition came in its proper shape I began upon my note to Lord Russell, and got most of it done, ready to be copied in the morning. In the afternoon Captain Nelson came again to say that according to my admire he had applied to some distinguished lawyers for advice how to proceed in a private suit against the Captain, and he had brought one with him, a Mr Peachey to speak about it, I said that I could only rely upon the opinion of counsel as to whether an action could be made so far to lie as to throw the question of the vessel’s character into the courts. Mr Peachey said he thought it could. Sir Hugh Cairns had admired it, and he only came to know whether such action would interfere with mine in relation to the government. I said, on the contrary I though it might simplify it. He said in that case he should send a search warrant from the Mayor tomorrow, to attach the goods taken from the captain. Soon afterwards there came a file of american newspapers which absorbed my attention the rest of the evening, with the exception of a game of whist with the family to relax my overstrained energies.