Captain Pease, "Shubrick"s commander and "Shubrick" made occasional visits to Victoria. In a Victoria newspaper had printed a report of a plot to attempt to seize "Shubrick". It was this which caused Consul Francis to have two private investigators to observe his movements very closely, and he learned enough to justify the conclusion that "Shubrick" was to be seized, with the captain's consent, while on the British side of the straits, and provided with a new crew which would willingly go on a privateering enterprise. The consul communicated this to Secretary William H. Seward who was unsatisfied with the British denials that such a thing was going to happen.