Augst. 12th, 1864
San Francisco
Lodge2 PDF, p. 17
W.H. Blake, Esq.
Dear Sir,
Your labor of the 4th of June reached me only on the 10th just. I immediately went to the Pacific Mail Company and soon found your box.
The company have promised to write you by this mail & hold your box subject to your order.
A Mr. Macuab & a Mr. Hubbard being of opinion that they knew where some of the stolen treasure was concealed in Mexico. I have since then authority to get possession of it with your assistance.
I furnished them with a letter to you, and one to the commander of the French naval forces.
My impression is that they have been so busy on their passage to “Manazanillo” that they will arrive too late to get the treasure if there was ever any there.
Should they however be right in their conjecture you will I know give them all the assistance in your power & the recovered treasure (if any) you can forward either as directed in my last letter or the whole of it can be forwarded either to New York Board of Underwriters New York Salvage Association Llloyds London, Fallerson Bell & Co. San Francisco or Bank of France, Paris.
The trial of Smiley still continues & is not likely to terminate yet. Labastido has been here but is now at Mazatlan and is expected back here. I suspect he is employed in introducing arms and ammunition into Mexico. He is an arch traitor and is probably employed both by the Empire and the insurgents. His family remain here.
I remain sir your obedt. sert.
Francis W. Lodge
Revision: 10/28/2010