The National Register.
London, England, 1817-05-26 00:00:00

SEIVE TRADE.

The following Affidavit of Lieutenant James Eike, who was
pnt on board a eaptiired Slave Ship, as prize master—a slave
ship which originally contained three hundred and fifty Afri-
cans, at the same tints that it slaras the hot rid ctileltlea of
the traffic, proves how the costly English Embassy
at Lisbon was in checking*,
" Atti,la% it of Lieutenant James Eike, sworn 17th of
March, Ini6, allowed by the Court to be exhibited, in which
lie deposes, that on tile lath of February last, he went on
baud the S lit .I..a.piiiii, as prize ista.ter, mail ;mini:Hied on
bawd her smne days after be arrival in Simon's Bay, whi: h
which was on the 19th of the said mouth ; that he rein ii tied
on board until the slaves wet e lauded by virtue of a deer re
front the Court, and was a,ittally superintending and atoist•
ing in their iliseinbarkatirm; that what he first went on board,
he was informed that the said vessel hail left Alosambiqi e
only twentyds,o days, at whit, time every l erson on board
was in good health, and Ow thirteen of thin slaves had died
clurin7 that period; that between the capture and their arri-
val in Simon's flay, the survivors were all of them sickly and
weak, and nearly line 1111111111•11 of them afflicted anti the dux ;
that medical aid was to those who required it ; that
tie brig appears to have been built fora privateer, and for
fast sailing, not for stowage; that the slaves were all stowed
together, perfectly naked, and nothing but rough unplaned
planks to crawl' down upon, in a hold situated above their
wat-r and provisiorts, the piace being little more than two
feet in height, and the space allowed to each slave being so
small, that it was impossitile fir them to avoid touching and
pressing upon those inturdiately surronniling; the g eatest
part ultimo were fedi neil, sonic Once tog( ther, by one leg
each, in heavy iron shackles, a s cry large proportion of them
has iug thi.llll%; that they acre compelled to pet form their
natural evacuations limier these dreadful circumstances with-
out being attic to move, and to remain amidst their own ex-
ci einem, which could nut be cleared away until the said
eaves were all disembarked ; that between the 19111 and 21th
days of their lining landed. thirteen more died, tints% ithstand-
lug good provisions, medical aid, and kind treatment, and
thirty more died between the lath of February and the 16th
of Starch instant, all occasioned. as be in his conscience be-
lieves, and is firmly persuaded, by the cruel and inhuman
treatment of the Portnguese owners; that more than one
hundred of them were, at the tune 14' flick like
skeletons covered with skin, and Moving by slow na.teliiiirry,
hardly maintaining the appearance of animated human be-
ings; that the tem:tinder were all of them enervated, and in
a sickly state. Fie says that the pilot, upon being asked by
('amain Baker hose many Ise supposed womb' have reached
Vie place of their destination alise, replied, about half the
manlier that were rnibsirked ; that from the time of seizure
till the said slaves were lauded, the l'ortligni4V 0A111.1*% fed
and attended the in, giving them two meals each day, one at
seven in the mime, the other at Ilse in the eventlig, lint
never allnwilig to each person more than half a pint of water
at each meal. lie lastly says, that he mower vats !Mlle beasts
treated with such cruelty as the slaves ou board the Sae Joa-
quin' were treated by them aforesaid ow tiers."

The Bank of England have consented to/continue to
receive tho Dollar Tokens at Jive a/idling* each, the
sum tin• which they were originally recei►•ed. We are
happy to find, th:►t a stop will thus be put to the mer-
cenary impositions practised by some tradesmen upon
the credulity of poor persons, holders of this coin, who
have only been onred ss. 9J. and 3s. los. l r the• same,
although dollars ►►re current throughout the world at
4s. 61 in their original state.

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Thursday last about one o'clock. the Prince Regent,
accompanied by Lord Keith, left Carlton House for
Claremont, 'on a visit to the Princess Charlotte and
Prince Leopold.
The Royal Sovereign yacht, Sir Edward Owen,
laying at Deptlimd, is ordered to be fitted in readiness
to attend on the Prance Regent at Brighton, at twenty-
timr hours notice.

Sir Charles Rowley arrived at Deal on Wednesday,
and hoisted his flag in the Ganyinede, to investigate the
circumstances of the capture of the Moorish corsair Ka-
rabash.

The Tunisian Corsair, of which the Ganymela went
in puriuit, has made her escape for the present. The
Ganymetle got sight of her on Monday off Peachy
Head, and chased her to the Westward, but without
success, the Corsair being► the better sailer.
Government are anxiously promoting the enrolment
of Yeomanry Cavalry, and offering additional allow-
ances towards their expenses. Four troops arc about to
be formed in Bedthrashire, viz. at Dunstable, Luton,
Harold and Higgles.vade. They are not to exercise
till after harvest. _

lhe quartern loaf is now nineteen-pence, a rise of
one penny having taken place on Saturday se'rmight,
and a further rise is in contemplation ; so that we may
expect in a few days the price of the quartern loaf' ad-
vanced to 2s. We wish the &ruler, the miller, and the
baker, a full and fair proportion of profits ; but seeing
the great reduction that has taken place in taxes, and
the abatement of rents generously male by landlords
to their tenants, we apprehend that, under all the cir-
cumstances of the case, the public have a right to ex-
pect bread under the present price.
Mr. Kemble will close his theatrical. life at Covent
Carden, by making his first appearance, and last on the
stage, in the character of Falsiatr, which he studied
with the intention of playing, two or three seasons ago.

. ,
The Anniversary of Sir Francis Burdett's election
for Westminster was celebrated on Friday, by a dinner
at the Crown and Anchor : on which occasion the
Baronet was supported, amongst others, by Marquis
of Tavistock, Lord Ossuiston, Mr. Brougham, and Mr.
Bennet. The Marquis of Tavistock complimented Sir
Francis in very handsome terms ; and Mr. Brougham,
in allusion to the intended continuance of the suspen-
sion of the Habeas Corpus Act, implored the meeting
to unite in the most constitutional manlier to prevent it.
The Second Seal Dar in the Court of Chancery will
be on Tuestivy, the 2tl of June.
A. M. nitrate lately brought a strange demandagainst
Monsieur the Count d'Artois in the Royal Court of
Paris. This man, 80 years of age, had the reversion of
an annuity from his Royal Highness's family of 900
francs, etijoced at the period of the Revolution by his
mother. When the Count. emigrated at the Revolution,
M. Ruelk remained. In the tird year of the Heron -
tion the creditors of the emigrants became the creditors
of the State, and were offered payment of their debts
by the Government. M. Ruelle then preferred his claim,
and was inscribed in the great boot: of France for his
annuity and its arrears. Having. enjoyed this annuity
for twenty-finir years from the T ation, M. Ruelle now
modestly demanded repayment of it from his Royal
Highness, as arrem-s due to him front his Royal High-
ness. A verdict was given against him.
E ROYAL Gatottoz.—The first survey was made
on Saturday morning, by means of the diving-bell, of
the wreck of the Royal George, which sunk at Spit-
head, about thirty-five years since. She lays nearly
east and west, with her head to the westward, and,
with a trifling inclination, on her lathoard bilge. The
whole of her decks have fallen in, and the starboard
broadside upon them ; there is, in fact, no appearance
whatever of her original formation—her remains ap-
pearing as a pile of ruinaus timber-work. The surface
of hs r timbers is decayed, but the heart of them is
sound. Not the least vestige of her gouts, anchors,
spars, or masts, was discovered, and the whole of her
head and rail-work has gone to pieces ; the guns must
have fallen into the hull, among the wreck. There is
no bank or great accumulation of mud around bar :
the hollows in her hull contain a quantity of tine black
musene mud—the natural sediment of the tides. It
would not be difficult either to saw her is pieces or
blow her up ; but she cannot be weighed in a body,
from her dilapidated unconnected state. The bell, on
being let down, touched her larboard broadside, passed
roma her bows, and was brought up from her star-
board broadside. It is fully expected the Navy Board
will give directions immediately for the breaking up
and removal of her remains.

Friday afternoon the neighbourhood of Fleet-qtreet was thrown
ir.to the greatest alarm ;Lail confusion, by it dreadful fire breakitix out
in the premises throv,ily occupied by Mr. Nlist. as atlas: and
:'op, bus had latt-rly opened as the Metropolitan laar. It
t rentencd total tl:struction to the adoining hiviscs. The flames
Ltirst out in one cif the upper sortes, the street was enveloped in fire
itd smoke, and in ILA% than an tour the whole house was coin-
! ,curly destroyed.letuing notlitng but the bare wall-.
Theilwelling of Mr. Cooke. painter and glazier, in Bride's-pas-
sage, and that of Mr. Man 1, a dyer. in Salisbury•court, have Vol-
fared severely on the occasion ; particularly the: of the former. the
upper stories of which are totally destroyed,. We could not learn
bow the tire originated, but we understand the prsouses have been
unithlabitcd for some tinlepast.