The Express.
London, England, 1852-01-08 00:00:00

TILE FIGHT WITH TILE NEGROES AT

LAGOS.

We learn that not only was the crow of her Ma-
jesty's screw-sloop Niger, Commander Heath, engaged with
the negroes at Lagos, as stated in yesterday's Express, but
the attack on the slave traders won made by the combined
crews of a squadron of crui.ers, which included the offivers,
seamen, and marines of the Philomel, 8, Commander
Forties; Harlequin, 12, commander Wilmot; Volcano
steam vessel, Commander Coot.; Niger, 14, screw.sloop,
Commander Heath; and Waterwieh, 8, Commander Gard-
ner—the force consisting of 23 boats, with 200 officers and
men, under the command of the senior officer, Commander
F. 0. Forbes, of the Philomel.
The King of Lagoa, Corijioce by name, had forbidden the
men-of-war boats from coming up the river to Lagos; but
previously Mr. Beecroft, the consul at Fernando Po, with
the commander, of the Harlequin and Waterwiteh, and
Lieutenant Pate} the commander of the Bloodhound
steam-tender, had boeu received by the King with every
demonstration of respect. They, however, failed in their
object to engage the King to promise, on the part of him-
self and subjects, not to favour the slave trade. Mr. Berl-
croft determined on seeking another interview with the
King, and in order to show his sable Majesty the hopele -
nt-4 of any successful persigance in carrying on the in-
human traffic, arranged that the sensed boats of the
squadron should accompany him up the river under a flag of
truce. _

Accordingly, a course over the bar having been surveyed,
the Bloodhound strainer, with a white Hag, and the follow-
ing boats of the squadron, Mr. Beecroft in Commander
Wilmoes gig, starting 100 yards a-head, proceeded at day-
light of the 25th of November towards the river :
Fhilomel.—Commander Forbes in the whaleboat; Lieu-
tenant Williams in the pinnace, with a 12-pounder cannon-
ade, and with cutter and whaleboat.
Ilarlequin.—Commander Wilmot iu the gig; Lieutenant
Boughey in the pinnace, with cutter and two whaleboats.
Volcano.—Commander Cuote in whaleboat; Lieutenant
Reeves in paddlebox•boat; Lieutenant Robinson in paddle-
box• bout, with cutter.
Niger.—Commander Heath in the gig • Lieutenant Dunn
in the piIIIACC, with three cutters and whaleboat.
Waterwiteh.—Commander Gardner in whaleboat, Lieu-
ten int Graham in pinnace, with cutter and whaleboat.
As the force crossed the bur, and ahout four miles distant
from the point, a heavy fire of musketry was directed to-
wards it. No notice, however, was taken of this ineffectual
show of opposition to the progress of the boats, and the flags
of truce were kept flying. ‘Vhen within shout a mile and
a half of the town the Bloodhound grounded; and, as she
could not be got off, the boats formed line and proceeded up
the river, and kept on, with the flag of truce flying, until they
received a heavy tire from some guns and musketry on shore.
The fire was harmless on account of the distance ; but nnw
the boats opened their fire with shrapnel' shells and round
shot, the Niger at the same time throwing a shell or two
on the point near the mouth of the river. After exchang-
ing a continuous fire for nearly an hour with a beach
lined for mere than a mile with bodies of men, the boats
dashed at the shore and effected a lauding simul-
taneously at one spot, and then, leaving a sufficient guard
at the boats, about 160 officers and men fought their way
into the town. They were met, however, with the most de-
termined resistance en the part of the natives, who disputed
every inch of the narrow Ntreets intersecting each other, and
when beat out of one street ran round by the backwaye and
showed front again at the end of the other streets. After
some gallant fighting in this way against an increasing
enemy, who amounted to at least 5,000, and having two
(idiom killed and six men wounded, Captain Forbes fired
Cie houses in the neighbourhood and retreated in owl
order, and, having re-embarked, proceeded to the Blood-
hound, got her afloat the same night, and the next morn-
ing recrossed tho bar; the force having sustained the fol-
lowing lose—comparatively small when the number of the
enemy is taken into account, and when it is considered that,
in addition to their forte of half•a-dozen large gnus, and as
many swivels, which were constantly served, almost every
house wss a fortification:

Killed. --Mr. I)yer, mato of Niger; Mr. lien, mate of
ditto.

Wounded.—Charles Hancock, sergeant R.M.Ar., of the
Niger, seriously; John Goulding, gunner, R NI A., of the
Niger, dangerously; Urbane Collett, bombardier, H.M.A.,
of the Niger, severely; William Hall, seaman, of the Niger,
severely; John Wearthy, seaman, of the Niger, severely;
Richard Oomett, seaman, of the Niger, severely; J. Tod-
hunter, A. 8., of the Niger, severely ; a quartermaster of the
Philousel ; two men of the Volcano, severely. In addition
to the above, others received hurts from spent balls.
The Niger took the wounded to Sierra Leone, and pro-
ceeded in search of the commodore, and it was understood
that Commodore Bruce had proceeded to Lagoa to organise
such a force as would compel the King of Lagos to submis-
sion; tho Ilar:equio, in the meantime, by her presence
off the coast, preventing the King of Lagos from forming
any new expedition against the missionary establishment at
Badagry.