the sake of getting Slaves cheap, and he actually paid for them about half a dollar in value of goods for each, and was evidently in hopes that he should be able to get them away in a Portuguese Brig, which he expected in when I sailed in September last.

No. 4.-Captain Owen to H. E. The Governor of Mosambique; transmitted to J. W. Croker, Esq. by Letter dated July 10, 1824. (Extract.)

H.M.S. Leven, Mosambique, March 28, 1824. THE arrival from the Oibo of the Soleil Slaving Vessel, now under a Portuguese Flag, lays me under the necessity of calling your Excellency's attention to the existing Treaties between our Nations, of which it is my misfortune to witness the continued breach so far as respects the infernal Traffic in Slaves. This Vessel (the Soleil) is forfeit to the laws of Great Britain, and will be seized wherever found, under whatever Flag she may hoist, having fitted out in the British Port of Mahé to pursue the said forbidden Trade. This is necessary to observe to your Excellency, because there appears to exist some mysterious transaction to obtain the cover of the Flag of your Nation to enable her to carry on this Trade with more facility, which must furnish the British Nation a subject of just complaint to your Court; to prevent which, I have the honour to beg, that an embargo may be laid on the Soleil, until the subject shall be referred for the consideration of higher Authorities. I have also to observe, that twenty-four Slaves were embarked from this Port under your licence on board an Arab Vessel that sailed hence on the 14th instant, ostensibly to repair this Vessel, and it does not appear that they have returned, but that they have been otherwise disposed of at Oibo, and most probably to the other traders for Slaves of that Place.

(Extract.)

No. 5.-Commodore Bullen to J. W. Croker, Esq.

H.M.S. Maidstone, Cape Coast, Gold Coast,
July 22, 1824.

ON my passage up the Bight of Benin, I looked in at the several Ports and Roadsteads that I considered suspicious. At anchor off Badagry, I boarded the two Brazilian Vessels described in the enclosed list, who had Passports from Don Pedro, authorizing them to receive on board at Molembo, south of the Line, their cargoes of Slaves; whereas it appeared they had both come direct from Bahia to Badagry, for the purpose of purchasing and shipping their cargo there, without the slightest intention of proceeding as directed in their clearances from Bahia; and I found that Os Dous Amigos had already landed more than half her cargo, doubtless in barter for Slaves. On the 13th I boarded, at anchor off Whydah, the five other Vessels described in the same list: El Conquistador and La Ninfa were, to appearance, very

fine fast sailing Vessels, the former had ten guns, eighteen-pounders, and fifty-one men; the latter, three guns, forty-seven men, with scarcely any room for the stowage of a cargo, which leads me to think they are not in any way fitted up or adapted for the Slave Trade.

The Caridade had landed the whole of her cargo, notwithstanding her Papers directed her to proceed to Molembo, and everything was in readiness for shipping the Slaves at a short notice; her logs were evidently false, as they described a route from Bahia to Molembo, in south latitude; and a declaration was produced, purporting to have been drawn up at the latter place on the 7th April, and stating, "that "in consequence of not being able to dispose of her cargo at that Port, "it was expedient, for the benefit of her Owners, that she should pro"ceed up the Coast for that purpose;" whereas I ascertained, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that she anchored at Whydah on the 10th April, three days after the date of the document affirmed to have been signed in 6° of south latitude; such are the subterfuges resorted to by the dealers in this illicit trade to evade detection.

The whole of the Brazilian Vessels I have boarded have been furnished with a Passport from Don Pedro, agreeably to the Treaty between Great Britain and Portugal, permitting them to trade for Slaves to the Portuguese Possessions south of the Line; but it is an ascertained fact, that, instead of doing so, they make a direct passage to one of the Ports in the Bight of Benin (keeping the false log before alluded to); their Masters and Supercargoes instantly land, and remain on shore bargaining for the Slaves, while the Vessel either lies at anchor the whole time, or takes an occasional cruise to prevent suspicion; when the number of Slaves is complete, they watch a favourable opportunity to ship them, and sail the same day. They are thus enabled to escape capture in almost every instance, as they will keep their Slaves for several months in readiness on the shore, without embarking them, sooner than run the risk, when they have information of our cruisers being on the coast.

I beg, however, to assure their Lordships, that the most vigorous measures shall be resorted to, and the most effectual means taken to intercept and annihilate a Traffic so revolting to human nature.

From Lieut. Scott I received a Letter, of which the enclosed is an Extract, stating his proceeding when in command of His Majesty's Ship Victor, and containing information respecting El Romano, which Vessel is now, I learn, cruising off the Isles de Los.

(Enclosure 2.)-Lieutenant Scott to Commodore Bullen.

(Extract.)

H.M.S. Victor, Port Antonio, Princes Island,
May 10, 1824.

On my way to Princes Island I fell in with a large Brig under the South American Flag, with a Lugger and a Brig in company; the latter I soon came up with, which proved to be El Vencador, belonging to Bahia, and had been captured, together with the Lugger in company, by the El Romano Spanish Privateer, but decidedly a Pirate, having broke bulk on the cargo of El Vencador, which he had transferred into the Lugger, and with that Cargo had purchased Slaves, and from information which I had previously received from an American Schooner, neither respected Flag or Nation; I have therefore sent her to Sierra Leone, to be dealt with in the Vice-Admiralty Court accordingly.

I beg leave further to state, that on the 8th instant, when at anchor in Port Antonio, Princes Island, I observed a small schooner boat approaching the Harbour, and perceiving her movements to be rather suspicious, I despatched a boat to board her, which was accordingly done; and, much to my satisfaction, they seized her with seventeen Slaves together with a proportion of ivory, bees-wax, and gum copal, belonging to this Island, and eight days from the Gaboon River, at which Place she had made her purchases.

The Vessel being so exceedingly small, and in such bad condition as to render her totally incapable of performing the Voyage to Sierra Leone, together with the Negroes being in a complete state of starvation and approaching dissolution, so much so that one died the day on which the Vessel was seized.

From the miserable accommodation on board, and reasons before stated, I have adjudged it absolutely necessary to transfer the Negroes and other cargo on board El Vencador, with her Papers and the necessary Documents, to be delivered over to the Court of Mixed Commissioners at Sierra Leone for adjudication.

(Extract.)

No. 6.-Commodore Bullen to J. W. Croker, Esq.

H.M.S. Maidstone, Man-of-War Bay, St. Thomas',
September 23, 1824.

I BEG leave to enclose an Extract of a Letter from Captain Woolcombe, stating his having been so fortunate as to capture the Diana with 143 Slaves on board, since which (on the 18th instant) he succeeded in detaining Os Dous Amigos Brazilianos (one of the Vessels boarded by me off Badagry, and reported to their Lordships in my Letter of the 22d July), with 260 Slaves, making in all 740 that this active and valuable Officer has been instrumental in liberating from the worst and most distressing species of Slavery. In his Letter he has detailed the extent of human misery experienced by these unfor

tunate beings during their passage across the Atlantic; and on my visiting his last prize, on the 21st, the filthy and horrid state I found her in beggars all description; many females were far advanced in pregnancy, and several had infants of from four to twelve months of age; all were crowded together in one mass of living corruption, and yet this Vessel had not her prescribed complement by nearly one hundred.

(Enclosure.)-Captain Woolcombe to Commodore Bullen.

(Extract.)

H.M.S. Victor, Man-of-War Bay, St. Thomas',
August 20, 1824.

IN obedience to your order of the 29th July last, I yesterday arrived at this archorage, and immediately commenced watering, which I shall have completed by noon, and shall proceed again to my cruising ground as soon as the boat returns from the town, which takes this up and lands some Portuguese. I have been so fortunate as to seize a Brazilian Brigantine, with 143 Slaves on board at the time of seizure.

Of all vessels I was on board of, this was in the most deplorable condition: the stench from the accumulation of dirt, joined to that of so many human beings packed together in a small space (the men all ironed in pairs), was intolerable; and to add to this scene of misery, the small pox had broken out among them; nine had died before we took possession, and one almost immediately after our first boat got alongside.

(Extract.)

No. 7.-Acting Captain Wray to J. W. Croker, Esq.
H.M.S. Andromache, Port Louis, Mauritius,
September 30, 1824.

CAPTAIN Moorsom not having yet arrived, and a Ship sailing this day for England, I do myself the honour of forwarding, and beg you will lay before their Lordships, a Copy of a Letter written by the late Commodore Nourse in his rough letter book, and intended for their Lordships' information.

(Enclosure 1.)-Copy of a Letter written by the late Commodore Nourse in his Rough Letter Book, and intended for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.

On the 20th July we anchored off the town of Majunga, and found the Ariadne, which had arrived on the 17th, from whose Captain I received a report of his proceedings, and I have the honour to forward a copy of it.

On my arrival at Majunga, I immediately wrote to Mr. Hastie, who had returned with King Radama, and expressed my desire to see him and Radama. Mr. Hastie preceded him two days, and Radama arrived at Majunga on the 25th July, when I visited him, and on the