Leone, you took upon yourself the Office of Acting Commissary Judge, in the Courts of Mixed Commission established at that Place; and I have received the directions of his Lordship to express to you, his approbation of the conduct which you pursued upon that occasion. I am, &c. Joseph Reffell, Esq. J. BACKHOUSE. SIERRA LEONE. (Spain.) No. 38.-J. Reffell, Esq. to Mr. Sec". Canning.—(Rec. Jun. 27, 1827.) I HAVE the honour to inform you, that His Majesty's Ship Esk, William Jardine Purchas, Esq. Captain, detained the Spanish Schooner Intrepida, on the 10th of October last, in Latitude 2. 8. North, and Longitude 6. 20. East, with a cargo of 290 Slaves on board, and sent her into this Port for adjudication. From the extremely crowded state of the Slaves on board this Vessel, (she not being more than 100 tons burthen,) 10 had died previous to Capture, and 55 between the period of her Capture and Condemnation. The fact of the illicit Traffick in Slaves having been clearly proved by the Evidence adduced before the Court, Sentence of Condemnation was passed upon her, and the Slaves decreed to be emancipated. The Report of the Case is herewith transmitted. I have the honour to remain, &c. The Right Hon. George Canning. JOS. REFFELL. (Enclosure.)—Report of the Case of the Spanish Schooner Intrepida, whereof José Antonio Herrera was Master. THIS Vessel was seized by His Majesty's Ship Esk, commanded by William Jardine Purchas, Esq. on the 10th of August last, in Latitude 2. 8. North, and Longitude 6. 20. East, on her Voyage from the River Bonny to The Havannah, with 290 Slaves on board; she was sailing under Spanish Colours, armed with 5 guns, (18 pounders) besides small arms, and was commanded by Francisco Reynaldo, who states that he shipped as Second Pilot on board of her, and took the command in consequence of the death of José Antonio Herrera, the Master, and of Pablo Puig, the Chief Pilot. A Monition was issued in this Case, on the 11th of September, and returned duly certified on the 26th. Francisco Reynaldo deposed, on the Standing Interrogatories, that the Intrepida was fitted out at The Havannah, from whence she sailed on the 10th of September, 1825, to return with a cargo of Slaves; she had 25 Officers and Mariners on board (exclusive of himself) who were all Spaniards, and were all hired and shipped at The Havannah, except 1 Man and his Wife, Natives of Africa, who were Passengers going to The Havannah; that the Schooner anchored and touched at the River Bonny, on the Coast of Africa, during the Voyage, at which Place the whole of her Slaves were purchased and shipped; that the former Master, José Antonio Herrera, and himself, were the sole Owners of the said Schooner; that he was the Lader, and the former Master and himself the Owners and Consignees of the Lading of Slaves, and they were to have been delivered along the Coast of The Havannah. 310 Slaves were taken on board, 20 died previous to capture, but does not know how many have died since. The Examination of Juan Curasco, Cook, on the Standing Interrogatories, corroborates the testimony of the Acting Master, Francisco Reynaldo. The Affidavit of the Prize-Master, Thomas Burnett, states, that owing to the extremely crowded state of the Slaves on board (the Schooner being only 100 tons burthen) 55 had died since Capture, although every possible care and attention had been shown to them. The Spanish Pass from The Havannah, authorizes a Voyage to the Island of Princes, to return with articles of lawful commerce. The Evidence in this Case having clearly established the fact of the illicit Traffick in Slaves, the Court proceeded to Judgment, and pronounced Sentence of Condemnation against this Vessel, on the 26th day of September, 1826, and decreed the emancipation of the Slaves. JOS. REFFELL. The sum of 200 Spanish dollars, stated, in the Captor's Declaration, to have been taken out of the Intrepida, and put on board His Majesty's Ship Esk for safety, was claimed by Francisco, the Passenger, and on proof being shewn to the Court that the said sum was rightly claimed, and that the said Passenger had no right, title, or interest in the Intrepida or her cargo, the Court ordered the Registrar to pay to him the sum of 200 Spanish dollars. JOS. REFFELL No. 39.-His Majesty's Commissioners to Joseph Planta, Jun. Esq. (Received March 9.) SIR, Sierra Leone, 15th January, 1827. In pursuance of the 75th Clause of the Act passed in the fifth Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, intituled "An Act to amend and consolidate the Laws relating to the Abolition of the Slave-trade," and in conformity with the Instructions received from Mr. Secretary Canning, we beg leave to enclose, in Duplicate, a Return of all the Cases of Spanish Vessels which have been adjudicated in the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission established here, from the 1st day of July, 1826, to the 1st day of January, 1827. We have the honour to be, &c. Joseph Planta, Jun. Esq. N. CAMPBELL. JOS. REFFELL. (Enclosure.)-Return of Spanish Vessels Adjudicated by the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission established at Sierra Leone, from the 1st day of July, 1826, to the 1st day of January, 1827. No. 40.—His Majesty's Comm". to Mr. Sec". Canning.—(Rec. Apr. 4.) SIR, Sierra Leone, 2d February, 1827. We have the honour to enclose the Case of the Spanish Schooner Paulita, condemned on the 25th January, 1827, in the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission established here. The circumstances respecting this Vessel, as brought before the Court, making her clearly liable to Condemnation, we had no hesitation in pronouncing Sentence accordingly, and decreeing the Emancipation of the surviving Slaves. The Right Hon. George Canning. We have, &c. N. CAMPBELL. (Enclosure.)—Report of the Case of the Spanish Schooner Paulita, Antonio Ferrera, Master. THIS Vessel, commanded by Antonio Ferrera, cleared from The Havannah on the 13th of February, 1826, furnished with the usual Papers for a licit Voyage to the Islands of St. Thomas and Princes, and was detained, on the 6th December, 1826, off Lagos, and in Latitude 5. 4. North, Longitude 4. 42. East, by the Boat of His Majesty's Ship Maidstone, in charge of Lieutenant William Tucker, and for having at the time on board 221 Slaves, said to have been shipped in the River Benin. On the 7th of January, the Vessel arrived in this Harbour, having lost 30 of the Slaves by disease on the way up, and the Survivors being in a very sickly and emaciated state. On the 9th January, the Papers were brought into Court, duly authenticated by an Affidavit of Lieutenant William Tucker, and the usual Monition prayed for and granted, returnable on the 17th of the same month. From the Master's Answers to the Standing Interrogatories, it appeared that he was also the sole Owner of the Paulita and her Cargo, and that he took possession of her at The Havannah; that the present Voyage commenced and was to have ended there, or at any other Port where he could have got a good market for the Slaves, 221 of whom were taken on board altogether in the River Benin, and none of whom had died previous to Capture. This Evidence was confirmed by Juan Moro, Cook of the said Schooner, in his Answers to the Standing Interrogatories. No Claim having been made by the Master and Owner, the Court met on the 25th of January, 1827, and, having heard the Evidence in support of the Captor's Declaration, without hesitation pronounced Sentence of Condemnation against her as lawful Prize to His Majesty's Ship Maidstone, Commodore Bullen, C. B. Commander, declaring 221 Slaves to have been on board at the time of Capture, 30 of whom had died on the passage up, and 2 in the Harbour since the arrival of the Vessel, leaving 189 to be delivered over to the Colonial Government, which number the Court decreed to be emancipated. N. CAMPBELL. No. 41.-His Majesty's Comm". to Mr. Sec. Canning.—(Rec. June 7.) We have the honour to transmit, herewith, the Case of 23 Slaves seized in The Netherland Brigantine De Snelheid, by His Majesty's Ship Brazen, George Wickens Willes, Esq. Commander, and emancipated in the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission on the 16th of March, 1827. This Case, which was only brought before the Court on the 13th of February, 1827, by Petition on behalf of Captain George Wickens Willes, and the Officers and Men of His Majesty's Ship Brazen, has been decided on the Evidence of Sebastian Munoz, late a Cabin Boy on board the Spanish armed Ship Atalanta, filed with other proof in support of the Petition. This Evidence clearly defined the said Slaves to have been dealt for, purchased, and shipped by Spanish Subjects, forming the Prize Crew put on boord the Snelheid, by the Captain of the said Spanish armed Ship (which circumstance was referred to in the Despatch of Mr. Reffell, marked Netherlands, and dated 22d November, 1826.) This Case being, therefore, brought under the 3d The Right Hon. George Canning. N. CAMPBELL. (Enclosure A.)—Report of the Case of certain Slaves seized and taken by His Majesty's Ship Brazen, on board The Netherland Brigantine De Snelheid. On the 13th of February, 1827, a Petition was presented to the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, on behalf of Captain George Wickens Willes, and the Officers and Men of His Majesty's Ship Brazen, setting forth "that on the 28th day of September, 1826, His Majesty's Ship Brazen, under the Command of the said George Wickens Willes, being off the Island of St. Thomas, in Latitude 0. 2. South, Longitude 7. 10. East, fell in with and detained The Netherland Brigantine De Snelheid, then in charge of a Prize Master and Crew belonging to the Spanish armed Ship Atalanta, having on board 23 Slaves, Natives of Africa, that had been shipped in the River Nazareth by the Spanish Crew, who bartered and traded for the same."-And further, "that the De Snelheid was adjudicated and condemned in the British and Netherland Mixed Court of Justice, but that the said 23 Slaves, not having been put on board by the original Master and Crew, were not included in the Sentence of Condemnation, and, consequently, were not emancipated by Decree of that Court." And praying that, as clear and satisfactory proof could be produced, that the said Slaves were shipped in the River Nazareth, on account of, and by certain Spanish Subjects, that such Papers and Documents in evidence of the same, might be filed in the Registry of the said Court, that the usual Monition might issue, and that the Court would be further pleased to decree the emancipation of the said 23 Slaves, as seized and prosecuted by the said Captain George Wickens Willes, and the Officers and Men of His Majesty's Ship Brazen. This Petition being filed by permission of the Court, the 7th of March, the Monition went forth, returnable on the 15th of that Month. The Evidence filed in this Case was :-First, a duly certified Copy of the Declaration of Captain Willes, of His Majesty's Ship Brazen, in the Case of The Netherland Brigantine De Snelheid, which sets forth, that when he detained the said Vessel, "she had 23 living Slaves on board."-Second, the Marshal's Return, of the said 23 Slaves being landed here on the 23d of October, 1826, and delivered over to the |