ðə liːɡˈælᵻɾi ʌv ðɪs sˈiːʒɚ wʌz sˈɪɹiəsli dɪspjˈuːɾᵻd, bˌʌt ðə bɹˈɪɾɪʃ ɡˈʌvɚnmənt hæd ɔːlɹˌɛdi bˌɪn sˈʌmwʌt ɛmbˈæɹəst baɪ ðɪ æktˈɪvᵻɾiz ʌv , ɐ ʃˈɪp ˈɔːlsoʊ bˈɪlt baɪ lˈɛɹd sˈʌn ænd kˈoʊ ænd ˈɑːpɚɹˌeɪɾᵻd æz ɐ kˈɑːmɜːs ɹˈeɪdɚ baɪ ðə kənfˈɛdɚɹət nˈeɪvi.
The legality of this seizure was seriously disputed, but the British government had already been somewhat embarrassed by the activities of , a ship also built by Laird Son & Co and operated as a commerce raider by the Confederate Navy.