on the passage up, leaving 188 to be landed, which number was received by the Marshal.

No Claim having been made in this Case, the Court met for Adjudication, on the 9th April, 1827, and the Evidence clearly establishing the illegality of the Voyage, condemned the Vessel, her tackle, apparel, and furniture, as good and lawful Prize, and as seized and prosecuted by Captain Purchas, and the Officers and Crew of His Majesty's Ship Esk. The Court further decided, that 191 Slaves were on board at the time of Capture, and declared the emancipation of the Survivors, 188 in number, who, with the permission of the Court, had been previously landed. JOS. REFFELL.

No. 55.-Joseph Reffell, Esq. to Mr. Sec". Canning.—(Rec. June 30.) SIR, Sierra Leone, 18th April, 1827. In the absence of His Excellency Sir Neil Campbell to visit the Settlement of Saint Mary's in the Gambia, I have deemed it my duty to detail, for your information, the Case of the Brazilian Schooner Dos Amigos, detained by His Majesty's Ship Esk, W. J. Purchas, Esq. Commander, on the 8th of February last, in Latitude 1. 12. North, and condemned by His Excellency and myself in the British and Portuguese Court of Mixed Commission, on the 9th of April, and the surviving Slaves on board of her, in number 308, decreed to be emancipated; the Report of which I have the honour to enclose.

This Vessel cleared from Bahia on the 11th of February, 1826, furnished with a regular Passport, confining her to "enter solely such Ports on the Coast of Africa, where the Slave-trade is permitted to the Subjects of the Empire;" yet in positive violation of this, the Master declares that he steered from Bahia direct to Whydah and Badagry, on the Coast of Elmina, in about 6. 20. North Latitude, to the former to purchase provisions, and to the latter to buy Slaves, where, he states, he obtained 308, but, as appears by the other Evidence filed in the Case, 320; 3 of whom had died previous to Capture, and 9 more on her passage to this Port for adjudication, where she arrived on the 19th of March.

The difference of the 12 Slaves, in the Statement of the Master, and the Declaration of the Captor, may be accounted for as in the Case of the Venus, condemned on the same day, by that number, being Infants at the breast, not being taken into calculation by the Master.

The Dos Amigos formerly sailed under American Colours, and was called the Zephyr, she had been upon the Coast previous to Capture for nearly 12 months, and the greater part of that time lying at Whydah, the anchorage where she shipped her Slaves, during which period she was boarded no less than 10 times by the Squadron; first, on the 25th of May, when she was discharging her Cargo, and subsequently in June, July, and August, when she was found ready to

receive her Slaves, which, however, were not put on board until the 1st of February last, up to which time she appears to have been pretty generally visited, and even so recently as the 24th of January, thus affording a proof, that considerable delay is experienced in procuring Slaves, at even the most noted Slave-haunts to the Northward of the Line, a circumstance, however, I fear, more to be attributed to the increasing number of Vessels arriving for Cargoes, than to any diminution of the number of victims offered for sale. I have, &c.

The Right Hon. George Canning.

JOS. REFFELL.

(Enclosure.)-Report of the Case of the Brazilian Schooner, Dos Amigos, José Joaquim Ladislao, Master.

THIS Vessel, of 136 tons burthen, was detained, on the 8th day of February last, in or about Latitude 1. 12. North, Longitude 8. 20. East, by His Majesty's Ship Esk, W. J. Purchas, Esq. Commander, and having on board at the time 317 Slaves, said to have been taken on board at Badagry, in Latitude 6. 20. North, on the 1st day of that month.

The Vessel arrived here on the 19th of March, with the loss only of 9 Slaves on the passage up, aud the majority of the Survivors in perfect health, on which day the Proctor for the Captors brought the Papers, found on board her, into Court, with the usual Affidavit of the Prize-Master, and prayed that the Papers might be filed and the usual Monition issue, which went forth on the 20th, returnable on the 28th of the same month.

From the Evidence filed in this Case, it appeared that Vincente de Paulo Silva was the Owner of the Vessel, and that he is a Subject of the Emperor of Brazil, residing in Bahia, from which Port this Vessel cleared so long back as the 11th of February, 1826, furnished with an Imperial Passport, numbered 2, confining her to "enter solely such Ports on the Coast of Africa, where the Slave-trade is permitted to the Subjects of the Empire," and to return from thence to Bahia with 341 Slaves.

From the Answers of the Master to the Standing Interrogatories, it appears that, in violation of his Passport, he steered direct from Bahia to Whydah and Badagry, on the Coast of Elmina, to the former to purchase provisions, and to the latter to buy Slaves, 308 being there taken on board from the shore, 3 of whom had died previous to Capture.

In contradiction of the statement of the Master, as to the number of Slaves taken on board, the Court had before it the Declaration of the Captor, and also an Affidavit of the Prize-Master, which affirm 317 Slaves to have been on board at the time of Seizure, and prove 9 to have died on the passage up, leaving 308 brought into this Harbour, which number was received by the Marshal.

The Court met for Adjudication in this Case on the 9th of April, 1827, and the circumstance of the Vessel having violated the Convention between Great Britain and Portugal being clearly established, condemned her, together with her tackle, apparel, and furniture, as good and lawful Prize, and emancipated the surviving Slaves (who had been previously landed with the sanction of the Court) 308 in number, at the same time declaring 317 to have been on board the Vessel at the time of Capture by His Majesty's Ship Esk, W. J. Purchas, Esq. Commander. JOS. REFFELL.

No. 56.-His Majesty's Comm". to Mr. Sec". Canning.-(Rec. June 30.) SIR, Sierra Leone, 25th April, 1827. We have the honour to report, that there are now 6 Vessels, viz.: the Independencia, Passport No. 1, dated 19th January, 1827; Trajano, Passport No. 2, dated 24th January, 1827; Tenterdora, Passport No. 41, dated 11th November, 1826; Carlota, Passport No. 50, dated 18th December, 1826; Venturosa, Passport No. 38, dated 4th November, 1826; and Providencia, Passport No. 47, dated 15th December, 1826, under Brazilian Colours, in progress for Adjudication before the British and Portuguese Court of Mixed Commission established here, which Vessels have been detained, with no Slaves on board, and sent to this Port within the last month, by His Majesty's Ships employed on this Station, for being found at anchor to the Northward of the Line, against the Provisions of the Treaty between Great Britain and Portugal.

These Vessels are all from Bahia, and furnished with Imperial Passports (numbered and dated as in the margin) to take Slaves from Molembo; the Independencia, Trajano, and Carlota's Passports being regular in conformity to the Treaty; the Venturosa, Tenterdora, and Providencia's irregular; the 1st. authorizing to touch at the Islands of St. Thomas and Princes, the 2d, at those Islands and the Coast of Guinea, and the latter at Sierra Leone, the Coast of Guinea, and the said Islands, the whole of them being obligated to enter solely such Ports on the Coast of Africa, where the Slave-trade is permitted to the Subjects of the Empire. The Passport of the Providencia, so particularly remarkable as giving her leave to touch at Sierra Leone, is the only Document found on board her.

The defence set up by the Claimants in all these Cases, except that of the Independencia, is, that they came to the Northward of the Line to procure provisions and water, although, in none of them, had the Voyage from Bahia occupied above a month, and, in most of them, a shorter period: they had all more or less Cargo on board, and, except the Venturosa, had not been long upon the Coast.

The defence of the Claimant in the Case of the Independencia, taken in the Roadsted of Accra by His Majesty's Brig Conflict, is,

that the Vessel having sprung a-leak, 4 days after leaving Bahia, he was obliged, 16 days after it was discovered, being then in Latitude 2. 15. North, Longitude 10. 13. West, to bear up for the nearest Port, which he would lead the Court to believe was Accra. From a Letter found on board this Vessel from one Luis de Franca to Luis Antonio de Andrade, dated Bahia, the 19th January, 1827, it appears, that a Ship called the Maria de Gloria, had arrived there in safety with a Cargo of Slaves, and that they were at that time so abundant that they sold for less than 200 milreas each.

The preparatory Evidence in all these Cases will in a few days be finished, when the Court will be called upon to decide on the legality of their detention, and, in doing so, we shall govern ourselves by the principles laid down by the Commissioners in the Case of the Hiroina, which, in its principal features, was very similar to the present ones.

In addition to these Vessels, there are two others before the Court; the first a Vessel named the Conceição de Marie, from Bahia, detained to the Northward of the Line, with Slaves on board, whose Passport obligated her to enter solely such Ports and Places where the Slave. trade is permitted to the South of the Line; in defiance of which she was boarded no less than 8 different times by the Squadron in about Latitude 6. 10. North, where (at Whydah) she at last succeeded in shipping her miserable Cargo of human Beings, with which she was captured a few hours afterwards; thus clearly shewing the illegal object the Brazilian Vessels have in coming to the Northward of the Line; the 2d, the Tres Amigos, brought in 3 days ago by the Tender of His Majesty's Ship North Star, having on board 3 female Slaves. The circumstances attending this latter Vessel are somewhat singular: she is furnished with a Commercial Passport from Rio de Janeiro to go to Angola, and from thence to the Cape de Verds, on her Passage to which she entered this Harbour, about 3 weeks since in ballast, and under the pretence of requiring water and provisions; having obtained which, she sailed on the 17th instant: shortly after, information was received that she had on board 3 if not more Slaves, in consequence of which Lieutenant Crofton, commanding the Tender of His Majesty's Ship North Star, then at anchor in this Harbour, proceeded to sea, and succeeded in detaining her on the 19th instant, when the 3 female Slaves were found concealed in a place under the caboose, I foot high and 4 feet square, where, in all human probability, they would shortly have been suffocated, had not Lieutenant Crofton fortunately got on board, unless their Owner had thrown them overboard, as is asserted by the Boatswain he threatened to do, when he found himself chased by the Tender. It appears that the Master had procured these Slaves on the Coast, and that he had kept them concealed on board during the whole time he lay in this Harbour; his cold-blooded cruelty, in thus confining 3 living Beings, could only be equalled by his impudence

in offering to Lieutenant Crofton his gold watch and £ 50 not to detain him.

We beg to add, Sir, that the particulars of all these Cases will be transmitted for your information, as speedily as possible after they are adjudicated; the number of Vessels, however, now brought before the Court, being so much greater than ever was known since the establishment of the Commissions, the preparatory Evidence cannot be taken in the time it has usually been before the Court; indeed the duties of the Registrar for some time past have been most arduous, and the attention of the Commissioners much occupied with the Cases of detention, so very different from those formerly made, most of the Vessels now sent in being without any Slaves on board.

We have, &c.

The Right Hon. George Canning.

H. LUMLEY.
JOS. REFFELL.

No. 57.-His Majesty's Comm". to Mr. Sec". Canning.(-Rec. July 27.) Sierra Leone, 5th May, 1827.

SIR,

We have the honour to enclose herewith, the Report of the Case of the Brazilian Brigantine Trajano, Jozé da Silva Rios, Master, condemned in the British and Portuguese Court of Mixed Commission established here, on the 30th April, 1827.

This Vessel, which left Bahia on the 28th of January, 1827, furnished with an Imperial Passport, in conformity to the Treaty, obligatory on her "to enter solely such Ports on the Coast of Africa, where the Slave-trade is permitted to the Subjects of the Empire," was detained, on the 13th March, 1827, at anchor off Whydah, in Latitude 6. 14. North of the Equator, but with no Slaves on board, by His Majesty's Ship Maidstone, Commodore Bullen, C. B. Commander, and arrived here on the 4th of April, 1827.

From the Log of this Vessel, it was clearly evident, that her intention was to come to the Northward of the Line from the moment she left Bahia; and from the Evidence, not disproved by the Claimant, on whom the burthen of proof in such Cases lies, that her being at Whydah was to procure Slaves: the particulars we have detailed very fully in the Report, which we most respectfully beg to refer to in this Case, and in which we hope our proceedings will be approved of.

We have, &c.

The Right Hon. George Canning.

H. LUMLEY.
JOS. REFFELL.

(Enclosure.)-Report of the Case of the Brazilian Brigantine Trajano, Jozé da Silva Rios, Master.

THIS Vessel, of the burthen of 218 tons, sailed from Bahia, on the 28th of January, 1827, furnished with the usual Papers, and an Imperial Passport, No. 2, dated the 24th of January, 1827, authorizing her to take 545 Slaves from Molembo, and obligatory on her "to enter