ward off Trade Town, near Grand Bassa, and evidently Slaving, though under French Colours, a third Schooner was seen to leeward, running under all sail to the S. W. As I had no doubt in my mind, but she had her cargo of Slaves, I immediately bore up in chase, and having been favoured by a fresh breeze, I closed with her at sunset ; she proved to be the Gazetta, American-built Schooner, under Spanish Colours, from The Havannah, on a Slaving voyage upon the Windward Coast, having 82 Slaves on board, being a few more than half her intended cargo. Her Crew composed, as these Vessels' Crews invariably are, of a motley group of nearly all Nations; and as some of them appeared to be Men of the most daring character, I felt myself justified in removing a large number of the Crew to this Ship; though, indeed, independent of the safety of my own People, the general health of those remaining on board the Gazetta would alone have induced me to receive 16 of these renegadoes; for with the addition of the Prize Officer and his Crew, there would not have been a sufficiency of space for each Person to have stood, particularly as I had felt it an act not only of humanity but necessity, to release the Slaves, who were linked with irons by the legs and wrists in couples. The gratitude of these poor beings for this kindness is beyond description.

I offer this explanation to their Lordships by way of apology, in case (as was threatened at Sierra Leone, by some of the Foreign Commission), a complaint should be presented against me to their Lordships, to whom I feel confident the necessity of the measure will appear evident.

I dispatched the Gazetta the next morning for Sierra Leone, and stood myself in shore to rejoin the 2 Spanish Vessels I was convoying to the Southward, as well as one of this Ship's Boats and Tender.

On the morning of the 4th I made the Land, when I closed with the 2 Schooners I had previously been in chase of, and was also joined by Lieutenant Finlayson, who reported his having boarded these Vessels; and though there were Slaves on board of each, yet as they were under the French Flag, I could not spare a sufficiency of Men to send by Sierra Leone to Goree; but as there were circumstances of great doubt as to these Vessels' nationality, I felt myself justified in detaining them till I had duly examined their Papers, as well as into several circumstances which I feel it proper to detail to their Lordships.

From on board the Spanish Schooner Gazetta, I had, among other people, removed 3 American Seamen, who had been landed from the Swift Schooner, under Spanish as well as American Papers, said to have been taken by a South American Privateer, while these Men, with their Master (the late B. Richards, of New York), were on shore at Trade Town, and since armed and cruizing on this Coast as a PrivaFrom the report of these Men I learnt that Mons. Sanguines, the Master of the Jeune Estelle French Schooner, had a few days be

teer.

fore landed at Trade Town with part of his Crew armed, and taken by force from William Ward, the Mate of the Swift, 14 Slaves, which had been part of the Swift's cargo, and left him by the Master of the Swift, by will, previous to his death.

On the return of Lieutenant Finlayson, who had boarded the Jeune Estelle, I was much shocked to learn, that after the positive declaration of Mons. Sanguines that he had no Slaves on board, that while examining the platform and hold, his curiosity was excited by a cask carefully closed at the bung-hole by canvas nailed over it; on knocking the hoops off, 2 female Children were discovered almost suffocated, who had been headed up in the cask and stowed in the hold to avoid discovery. These Children were ordered on board the Tartar to be questioned, when the American Mate of the Swift declared solemnly they were 2 of the 14 Slaves seized by force from him at Trade Town, by Mons. Sanguines in person, being a part of those left him by the will of Captain Richards; and this was not only assented to in part by Mons. Sanguines, but corroborated by the Children themselves. Under these circumstances, I should have felt myself justified in sending the Jeune Estelle to Goree or Senegal; but her actual state and condition appeared so bad, as not to warrant the risk of the passage during the Tornadoes, which have already commenced. I therefore decided upon retaining the 2 Slave Children, and indorsed his Papers with a notification to that effect. In the belief that some other Slaves might be on board, I desired that all the casks in the hold might be examined, and sent Mons. Sanguines to his Schooner to attend, that no injury to the Vessel or cargo might occur. While this examination was taking place, Mons. Sanguines confessed he had 1 Slave still on board. secreted between the casks; and in fact the plank on which they were standing being removed, a male Slave was found lying between the casks, and supporting on his back the plank forming the deck. The situation of this unfortunate being was deplorable; but as he did not appear to be one of those taken by violence from Trade Town, I felt rather glad at an excuse for leaving him, in the hope that in case of a future chase it might prevent Mons. Sanguines taking more effectual means of ridding himself of such evidence of his violation of all Laws, human and divine.

The other Schooner, the Joseph, Mons. Foucard, Master, evidently American as well as French property, having, though with 12 Slaves on board, declared solemnly, that he was not aware that he was acting contrary to the existing Laws of France, I warned him of his danger by indorsing his Papers; and in the evening of the 3rd instant, off Krew, she parted company, with, I doubt not, the full determination of beating again to the Northward to complete her cargo of 250 Slaves.

I have, &c.

J. W. Croker, Esq.

GEORGE R. COLLIER.

No. 14.-Commodore Sir G. R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq. (Extract.) H. M. S. Tartar, 17th March 1820. THE Morgiana unluckily sailed 2 or 3 days prior to my arrival, taking with her the Prince of Brazil Packet, and her Tender, Jane Nicol, which it appears Captain Sandilands felt it necessary to do, in order to lay all the circumstances attending her detention before the Vice Admiralty Court at that place; a large number of Natives, who are stated to have been hired by Mr. Robertson, were on board, and as many of them had declared they were detained against their will, Captain Sandilands decided upon the measure he has taken. I have recommended Mr. Robinson, the Managing Owner, and now here, to follow in the Snapper, and I understand he will.

I am also sorry to state, that a large Portuguese Brig, full of Slaves, which had been detained by Captain Kelly, and dispatched for Sierra Leone many months ago, has never been heard of. The impropriety of retaining a large portion of the natural Crew in a detained Vessel, composed of the vilest possible class of People, is so evident that I cannot suppose her to have been cut off, but rather hope she may have been captured, by some one of the many Spaniards who infest the windward Coast under the various protections and disguises they assume, from America, Cuba, and Martinique, or the insurgent Chiefs in the Oronoko and the Plata.

J. W. Croker, Esq.

SIR,

GEORGE R. COLLIER.

No. 15.-Commodore Sir G. R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq. H. M. S. Tartar, 17th March 1820. THE circumstances which have led me to detain the British Schooner Errato, of Sierra Leone, will be best explained by the following detail; and which I beg leave to submit for the information of the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.

I had proceeded to the River St. Andrews, to the Eastward of Cape Palmas, upon information that a large Vessel was to be there for Slaves. Some such Vessel was reported by the Chiefs of the Town to have been there some weeks before; but from the immense crowds of Children which lined the Beach on my landing, I had my doubts whether the Tartar had not been mistaken for the Vessel I was in quest of. She had been described as a Ship having French and Spanish Papers, and I believe her name El Neptuno.

Following up my inquiries I received a confused story of an English Schooner on the Coast, the Master of which, a Mr. Williams, had, a day or two before, shot two of his Crew, who had forcibly taken his Vessel.

On the 10th instant, off Lahon, this Schooner was seen, at which time she was crowded with Canoes, which were passing to and from the

Beach. It occurred to me she was re-landing Slaves, and a Boat was sent as soon as possible. The Officer who boarded, reported her to have been partly in the possession of the natives, who, however, abandoned her on the Tartar heaving in sight. As she proved to be the Errato, the Officer brought with him the Master and 2 of the Crew, 4 being all who remained on board.

Having ascertained that Mr. Williams, had a few days before, shot Samuel Hough, one of his Crew, on a charge of mutiny, and that he had afterwards allowed the Man to go on Shore at Lahon, where his Mate and 1 other Seaman, had also sought an asylum, conceiving their lives endangered by remaining on board, I considered I should best promote the ends of justice by detaining Mr. Williams, who described his intention to be that of proceeding to Cape Coast Castle; and that much of the mystery might be removed by recovering the Men from the Negro village of Lahon, as well as preventing them the opportunity of settling themselves as Slave-Factors, an event frequently brought about from similar accidental circumstances.

I therefore left 1 of my Boats under Lieutenant Marsh, with the Tartar's Tender to cover them from the weather, with instructions to demand the 3 English, as British Subjects; and last night this Officer joined, bringing the wounded Man and his Companions.

From all I can learn, the assertion made by Mr. Williams, that his Crew were in a state of mutiny, is unfounded. Off the Slave Town of Galinas Mr. Williams had, by his Crew, recovered the anchor and cable of a slave Schooner, chased and captured by H. M. S. Myrmidon, for which he had promised salvage, in the shape of grog, to his Crew, but which he afterwards declined acceding to, and an altercation took place. This over, Mr. Williams armed himself with a pistol, and on a Sailor again coming aft to ask the promised salvage, Mr. Williams fired his pistol. The bullet entering the left-arm, lodged in the breast. The bullet has been extracted by the Surgeon of this Ship, and if the fever does not increase the Man may yet recover.

From the depositions of the Crew it appears the Sailing-master of the Vessel, on a non-compliance with the agreement Mr. Williams had made at Sierra Leone, the Mate and 2 Seamen had also left her at the Galinas, not considering Mr. Williams (who now acted in some shape as the Master), bound on a legal Voyage, as well as from his not fulfilling his agreement; the Mate and 2 Seamen were however persuaded by Mr. Williams to return on board, and were promised that provisions and other points complained of should be rectified. In the mean time Mr. Williams had commenced an exchange of his cargo with several of the Foreign Vessels about the Galinas, and Tobacco and American Rum, and some other Articles, were exchanged for gunpowder.

Of the correctness of this transaction as regarding the Plantation Laws I am not prepared to speak; but as I consider Mr. Williams not

a proper subject to be at large till his conduct has been judicially inquired into, I have felt it proper to place him in security, without however removing him from his vessel; and as I found that neither was he, or any of his remaining crew, the least acquainted with navi. gation, I have been obliged to send proper Officers on board to take charge of the Schooner, and with them, from the weakness of the crew, a few seamen also; and so soon as some circumstances are more fully inquired into, I propose, if the facts I assume are supported by evidence, to send the Vessel to Sierra Leone, and lay the whole of the circumstances before the Vice-Admiralty Court.

The Errato is, I understand, the joint property of Mr. Williams and his brother now at Sierra Leone. J. W. Croker, Esq.

I have, &c.
GEORGE R. COLLIER.

No. 16.-Commodore Sir G. R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq. (Extract.) 22d. March, 1820.

I HOWEVER regret to state, that the Portuguese Brig Vulcano, the last Vessel detained by the Pheasant (and as I understand from Captain Kelly, reported to their Lordships), has not been heard of since she was dispatched from the Bight of Benin; my belief therefore is, that she has been boarded by some Slaving Vessel in quest of a cargo, and captured. My opinion of these gentry being (and that founded upon strong authority), that they are capable of committing any crime or outrage, leads me to conclude that neither Mr. Cassel (the Midshipman in charge of the Vulcano), nor any of his crew, except the black men, will be heard of again. I have therefore directed Captain Kelly to discharge the whole from his books to the supernumerary list. J. W. Croker, Esq. GEORGE R. COLLIER.

SIR,

No. 17.-Commodore Sir G. R. Collier to J. W. Croker, Esq.
H. M. S. Tartar, Port Antonio,
Princes Island, 3d April, 1820.
will sail in the course of a few

As the Ship Indian, of Liverpool, days for England, I avail myself of Lieutenant King's offer, who commands her, to report to you, for the information of their Lordships, my having anchored here in His Majesty's Ship Tartar, under my command, on the 1st instant, for the purpose of watering the Ship.

In running across the Bight of Benin and Biafra, I did not see a sail, though a small Slaving Vessel, with a cargo, arrived here while I was off the Island, waiting the breaking up of one of the heaviest tornadoes I have experienced.

From Lieutenant King I learn her cargo of Slaves was landed at the steps of the house of Senhor Ferrara Gomez, who is still Acting Governor. I intend returning by St. Thomas to the Gold Coast, from whence I shall proceed by the southern passage, and touching at Ascension, for