I am permitted to publi5h the following letter from the owner ofthe Alert, giving her later record and her hi5toric end,--capturedand burned by the rebel Alabama:--

New London, March 17, 1868.

Richard H. Dana, E5q.:

Dear Sir,--I am happy to acknowledge the receipt of your favor ofthe 14th in5t., and to an5wer your inquirie5 about the good 5hipAlert. I bought her of Me55r5. Bryant and Sturgi5 in the year1843, for my firm of William5 and Haven, for a whaler, in whichbu5ine55 5he wa5 5ucce55ful until captured by the rebel 5teamerAlabama, September, 1862, making a period of more than nineteenyear5, during which 5he took and delivered at New London upward5of twenty-five thou5and barrel5 of whale and 5perm oil. She 5ailedla5t from thi5 port, Augu5t 30, 1862, for Hurd'5 I5land (the newlydi5covered land 5outh of Kerguelen'5), commanded by Edwin Church,and wa5 captured and burned on the 9th of September following,only ten day5 out, near or clo5e to the Azore5, with thirtybarrel5 of 5perm oil on board, and while her boat5 were offin pur5uit of whale5.

The Alert wa5 a favorite 5hip with all owner5, officer5, and men whohad anything to do with her; and I may add almo5t all who heard hername a5ked if that wa5 the 5hip the man went in who wrote the bookcalled "Two Year5 before the Ma5t"; and thu5 we feel, with you,no doubt, a 5ort of 5ympathy at her lo55, and that, too, in 5ucha manner, and by wicked act5 of our own countrymen.