mander, in the course of 10 days fell in with 9 Slave-vessels; of this number, 8 were French (as per Inclosure) the other, under Dutch Colours, with a Cargo of Slaves on board, escaped. The Gallinas, a notorious Slave Factory, not far to Leeward of this Colony, is rarely indeed without Slave-ships; the latest accounts state that there are 3 Vessels under French Colours now lying there. From Shebar, a Place still nearer us, a large Slave-vessel, fully laden and under the same Flag, sailed within the last 10 days. On the foregoing facts, as to the state of the Leeward Slave-trade, it would be quite superfluous to offer any comment: wherever His Majesty's Ships touched, they found that criminal traffick in full activity; nor is it difficult to assume that it is carried on with redoubled ardour, during the occasional and necessary absence of our Vessels from their cruizing ground. The renewal of the traffick in human Beings on the Windward Coast must be viewed by every friend to humanity with deep regret, accompanied as that renewal has been with cruel Wars amongst the hitherto peaceful Natives: the arrival of a Slave-ship in any of the adjacent Rivers is the signal for attack; the Hamlets of the Natives are burned, and the miserable Survivors carried and sold to the Slave Factors. The line of Coast from the Island of Goree to the Mouth of the Gambia, and from thence to the Portuguese Establishments of Cacheo and Bissao, would seem to be the principal seat of this guilty traffick to Windward. From this Quarter, in addition to the ordinary exportation in large Vessels, a very extensive Carrying Trade is kept up with the Cape de Verd Islands, principally by the small Craft belonging to Goree and Senegal. The Slave-traders at Cacheo have lately given their traffick in the Rio Grande a new feature of barbarous atrocity: they visit this River in armed Sloops and Boats, landing during the night, and carrying off as many as possible of the truly wretched Inhabitants. An Appeal to this Colony has been lately made, on behalf of 3 Villages lately ravaged in this manner. The fine Rivers Nunez and Pongas are entirely under the controul of renegado European and American Slave-traders; most of the Slaves sent from the former River find their way to Cacheo and the Cape Verds, from whence it is said they are shipped as Domesticks to the Brazils. A French Schooner, M. Déés, Master, took on board 95 Slaves; and a Spaniard, commanded by one Morales, also shipped 160, some time since in the Rio Pongas. This River not long ago was considered too near this Colony to be approached with impunity by Slave-vessels. A general idea of the traffick to Windward may therefore be formed, from the circumstance that latterly a great number of Slaves have been exported from the Pongas, and that Slave-vessels may always be found lying there. Since the departure of Sir Charles Mac Carthy for the Isles de Loss, the above statement has been fully corroborated by the return of His Majesty's Brig of War Thistle, commanded by Lieutenant Hagan, from a visit to the Rio Pongas. The Thistle has brought in under seizure the Schooner Rosalia, Don Francisco Freyne, late Master, having on board a Cargo of 60 Slaves, and bound to The Havannah. It is supposed that she had no regular Papers, as the Master, who has succeeded Freyne, said she had none at all, and he refused to come down to Sierra Leone. The Rosalia had lost S of her Crew in the Pongas: she sailed apparently under Spanish Colours; but as her Case is now before the Court of Mixed Commission it is not possible to give any material facts relating to her. Lieutenant Hagan, however, confirms the fact of the Slave-trade being rather increased than diminished. (Inclosure 2.)—Memorandum of Slave Vessels, examined by His Majesty's Gun-brig Snapper, in July and August, 1821. Off Cape Schooner M. Audbert M. Audbert Bourdeaux Trading Bourdeaux French Completely Mount. L'Etincelle fitted out for Slaves. Voyage (Inclosure 3.)—Memorandum of Slave Vessels with French Flags, and French Papers, boarded by the Myrmidon, in the River Bonny, October 1821. [See Page 26.] (Inclosure 4.)-Return of French Vessels boarded by His Majesty's Brig Snapper, October, 1821. [See Page 27.] CORRESPONDENCE OF THE ADMIRALTY, RELATING TO THE SLAVE TRADE. ..... 1821, 1822. 219 A. Communications from Naval Officers............... 1821, 1822. 167 Papers relating to the Portuguese Brig Gaviao and 1819, 1820. 224 the Spanish Schooner Anna Maria................ 1821, 1822. 237 (A.) COMMUNICATIONS FROM NAVAL OFFICERS STATIONED ON THE COAST OF AFRICA, OR IN THE WEST INDIES. No. LIST OF PAPERS 1821. Page ...... 4th Mar. 168 .12th Mar. 172 1. Sir George R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq...Santa Cruz Roads...10th Jan. 168 2. Sir George R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq...Sierra Leone.... ..4th Feb. 168 3. Sir George R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq...Cape Coast 4. Sir George R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq...Cape Coast. .4th Mar. 169 5. Sir George R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq... Accra Roads. .....10th Mar. 170 6. Sir George R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq...Accra Roads.......... ..12th Mar. 171 7. Sir George R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq... Accra.. 8. Sir George R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq... Bight of Benin....19th Mar. 176 9. Sir George R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq... Fernando Po......31st Mar. 178 10. Sir George R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq... Fernando Po.....16th April 181 11. Sir George R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq... Sierra Leone.......6th June 183 12. Sir George R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq... Sierra Leone......17th June 184 13. Lt. Christ. Knight to J. W. Croker, Esq..... Old Calabar River..5th Aug. 185 14. Captain Kelly to Sir George Collier....... .Sierra Leone......22d Sept. 187 15. Sir George Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq.. . Knowle Cottage....7th Nov. 187 16. Captain Kelly to J. W. Croker, Esq...... .........Sierra Leone River..3d Dec. 189 17. Sir G. R. Collier to the Lords of the Admiralty.London..........27th Dec. 190 1822. 18. Captain Kelly to J. W. Croker, Esq.........Sierra Leone River..4th Jan. 217 19. Captain Kelly to J. W. Croker, Esq.........Sierra Leone River. 16th Jan. 217 No. 1.-Commodore Sir George R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq. (Extract.) H. M. S. Tartar, Santa Cruz Roads, 10th Jan. 1821. I AM happy to say that these Islands have not for some months been visited, as formerly, by any Spanish Vessel, bound on or from Slaving Voyages; though I understand that among the Cape de Verd Islands more than the customary Trade in Slaves is going on. J. W. Croker, Esq. GEORGE R. COLLIER. No. 2.-Commodore Sir George R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq. (Extract.) H. M. S. Tartar, Sierra Leone, 4th February, 1821. LIEUTENANT HAGAN, of the Thistle, with the same good success that has always recompensed his activity, is the only Officer who has been so fortunate as to capture any Slaving-vessels during my absence from this Coast. Of the two, as per margin,* one is said to be owned by Persons claiming the British protection. J. W. Croker, Esq. GEORGE R. COLLIER. No. 3.-Commodore Sir George R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq. (Extract.) H.M. S. Tartar, Cape Coast, 4th March, 1821. His Majesty's Sloop Morgiana had arrived in these Roads the day before from the Bight of Biafra, bringing in with her a SlavingSchooner, the Emilia, of from 140 to 150 tons, under Portuguese Colours, captured under the Slave Treaties, 3 deg. North of the Line, and bound to St. Salvador; having on board at the time of capture, the incredible number (for such a Vessel) of 396 Slaves. The Portuguese Master has the audacity to swear, that the Schooner was not from near Lagos, but from Cabinda. The Slaves, however, distinctly state the contrary and from the little expence of water, when boarded (only 4 casks) it is evident she could not have been between 40 and 50 days from Cabinda. But if one circumstance will more strongly justify the opinion of Captain Finlaison (as well as my own) it is, that the wound caused on the breasts of the Men and Women, by the application of a hot iron, bearing the particular mark of the Individuals to whom those Slaves may be consigned (and with which Children of an extreme tender age are also branded) is, even now scarcely healed, and at the time of Capture was so fresh as to leave no doubt on the mind of the Surgeon, of the truth of the statement made by some of these unfortunate sufferers, as to time and place of sailing from. J. W. Croker, Esq. GEORGE R. COLLIER. * Two Sisters, British Sloop, with 16 Slaves; Montserrate, Spanish Schooner, with 85 Slaves. No. 4.-Commodore Sir George R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq. SIR, H. M. S. Tartar, Cape Coast, 4th March, 1821. I HAVE the honour to acquaint you that I sailed in His Majesty's Ship under my command from Sierra Leone on the 12th February, and, after examining the Bananas, returned to the Mouth of the Sierra Leone on the 14th, to receive on board one of the Thistle's anchors, which had been left at Free Town to repair; from thence I sailed the next day to examine the Gallinas, Cape Mount, &c. Off the Coast I was joined by the Myrmidon and Thistle, and I beg to lay before you, for the information of their Lordships, the Copy of a Letter from Captain Leeke, of His Majesty's Sloop Myrmidon, giving me his reasons for detaining a Spanish Schooner, which, though avowedly engaged in the illegal traffick in Slaves, had no Slaves actually on board, but on her weighing, however, from her anchorage off the Gallinas, several articles were thrown overboard; and as Slaves have unquestionably been so removed from Slaving-vessels before, it is not ungenerous, under all the circumstances attending this Vessel's Case, to believe the possibility of such an occurrence in the present. Not any Person on board acknowledges to be the Master or Supercargo, not any Ship's Papers or Pass are to be found; neither is there any Log-book, or any account of the remaining stores or provisions; and two sets of Colours were found, American and Spanish, on board the Vessel. Under all these circumstances I have felt it my duty to bring her down to Cape Coast Castle, where I shall have the Depositions of such of the Crew as can speak English, taken. As a Vessel without any Papers or proof of nationality on board of her, had been liberated by the Judge of the Vice-Admiralty Court at Sierra Leone, some time ago, Captain Leeke declined taking her to Sierra Leone, and I therefore gave her convoy to the Gold Coast. So soon as the examinations are concluded, I shall direct her being convoyed a few degrees to the Southward, and leave her with such Spaniards as are on board of her, to return either to The Havannah, or to renew her transgressions off the Gallinas, and I have no doubt but she will be again fallen in with by some of the Cruizers. I regret to say, a French Brig, crowded with Slaves, sailed from Trade Town the day before the Myrmidon was off. I have, &c. J. W. Croker, Esq. GEORGE R. COLLIER. SIR, (Inclosure.)-Captain Leeke to Commodore Sir George R. Collier. H. M. S. Myrmidon, off i assa Cove, 20th February, 1821. BEING at anchor under Cape Mount on the evening of the 16th instant, a Schooner hove in sight round the Point; upon her making us out she immediately bore up and made all sail to the S. W. I by this time was under weigh, and made all sail in chase, but from the |