ɪn dʒˈænjuːˌɛɹi wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti θɹˈiː ðə fˈɔːɹən sˈɛkɹətɹi, lˈɔːɹd ɹˈʌsəl, nˈoʊɾᵻfˌaɪd bˈʊlɑːk, hˌuː hæd pˈɜːtʃɪst ðə ʃˈɪps ɪn hɪz ˈoʊn nˈeɪm, ðætðə ʃˈɪps wʊd biː pɹɪvˈɛntᵻd fɹʌm sˈeɪlɪŋ ɪf ðeɪ wɜː dˌuːɪŋ sˌoʊ tə fˈɔːɹm pˈɑːɹt ʌvðə flˈiːt əvə nˈeɪʃən kˈɜːɹəntli æt wˈɔːɹ.
In January 1863 the Foreign Secretary, Lord Russell, notified Bulloch, who had purchased the ships in his own name, that the ships would be prevented from sailing if they were doing so to form part of the fleet of a nation currently at war.