Interesting from Havana.
--A letter from
Havana, March 1st, says:
‘
On the evening of the 15th ult. came in, in eleven days from
Mobile, the Confederate schooner
Smith Townsend, sixty-nine tons, with cotton; and on the 27th sailed for
Matamoros (?) the Confederate schooner
Wide Awake,
Capt. Martin, carrying
Mr. Yancey.
He has been exciting some curiosity here by his long, light hair.
This he had cropped and otherwise disguised.
He has tried to run the blockade, for no one believes he is going to
Matamoros.
This schooner has run the blockade several times.
Once she carried over
Dr. Hugh Martin, (brother of the
Captain,) our former Consul at
Matamoros.
The schooner
Charlotte has also sailed for
Matanzas; she goes under the
English flag.
Yesterday came in
C. P. Knapp, bringing the
Captain of the English steamer
Labaun, whose departure from this port some time since I wrote you of as being under suspicious circumstances.
I was told that she intended to evade the blockade; but, not being able to ascertain the truth, I did not say so. The
Captain has protested before the
English Consul General, and goes on to see Lord Lyons by the
Columbia.
He says that while he and the purser were at
Matamoros (the steamer being outside the bar,) the
United States man-of-war
Portsmouth took possession of his vessel, under the plea that the cotton was American; but that he can prove it was bought by Englishmen, of Englishmen, residents of
Matamoros, and that most of it came from
San Antonio to
Brownsville by land.
Had the
Portsmouth waited till the next day she would have got $200,000 in specie, which was to have been part of her cargo.
’
