The National Register.
London, England, 1816-07-07 00:00:00

DREADFUL WAR IN AFRICA.

In our last Paper we mentioned an account which had
appeared in the Dutch Journals, of a War that was
ravaging, the Western coast of Africa. It was transmitted
by the Dutch Secretary to Government, at the Castle of
St. George, Delinina, datedlsth of M.hrch, and expressed
the opinion that our Establishment of Cape Ci;ast Castle
miscalled in the Dutch Papers Cape Corse) would
not be able to hold out against the furious banditti who
were coming down against it. A letter fronsa Gentleman
resident at that settlement: furnishes the ibllowing par-
ticulars-. of the origin and progress of the Negro war.
The letter is dated the .22d of March, seven days later
than the Dutch Secretary's account, and is the only com-
munication on the subject that has been received in
England:—" Sinae my last (says the Writer) we have
been full of trouble, alarm, and confusion at this place,
and all along the Fantee coast. It appears, that three
or four of the inland Princes, having given some offence
to the King of, Ashante, he made war upon them, with
a vast army, and chased them from place to place, with
dreadful slaughter, till they came up to the Fantee ter-
ritory; where they received protection for a time. But
being again attacked by at least 20,000 men, it was im+
possible to • stand against them ; and after a sanguinary
tattle, the fugit4es could not make a stand, and they
were muted and dispersed imall directions. The Ashen-
tees having afterwards heard that they had found an
asylum near this place (Cape Coast Castle), they dispatch-
sri a part of their army hither, with an intention of d c-
straying tide town: and I am sorry to say there has been
much skirmishing, and several heads taken oft' by the
victors (for since the abolition of the Slave Trade, it is
the uniform custom of these savages to put all their pri-
soners to death). Mr. White interfered as soon. as he
heard of what was going on, and dispatched messengers
to the Ashantee General, who has returned a pacific
answer, stating, that he has no intention to molest Cape
Coast. You may be sure, however, that we are not
without alarm ; as their army is so close to us; and the
fact is, that we place no confidence in their pacific pro-
fessions. All tlic English tbr many miles round have
hurried into the Castle with the utmost precipitation,
where we are shut in with between 4 and 5000 women
and children. On the other side, the Warsaw tribe have
brought an army down against Commedia; so that there
is nothing but war and slaughter all around us. The
Annatuabom and all the tribes as far as Bcrracoe, are
either murdered or dispersed ; and such is our critical
situation, that we know not what will become of us, as
it seems impossible fbr any of us to leave the coast, for
arc have no ships at hand, and the Lord Mulgravc is
not expected in less than a fortnight."

The City,. on Tuesday afternoon, was thrown . into
much consternation, by the Banking-house of 'Messrs.

Bruce, Simpson, Freer, and Mackenzie, Bartholomew-
Line, having stopped payment. The firm has published
a letter, stating, " how much they lament the inconve-
nience which will be thus occasioned to their friends
by the privation of their funds; and that they are persua-
ded that the inspection of their accounts will in no respect
chew them unworthy of confidence ; and, as men of ho-
,:tour, they can boldly assure them, that their properties
arc amply sufficient to liquidate every claim against them."
We are concerned to state, that in consequence of
the stoppage of Messrs. Bruce and Co's Bank in Lon-
don, the proprietors of the country Bank, Maidstone,
Sir William Bishop and Co. were on Thursday morning
oblitzed to suspend their payments fbr the present.
The \Vantage Bank has suspended its istyments ; this
circumstance has caused great distress in the neighbourhood.
Two partners in a banking-house not very fiir from
the metropolis were sent to Newgatc on Tuesday last,
by the Commissioners of Bankrupts at Guildhall, thr not
having given a satisflictory account of their property,
.aslrequired by Act of Parliament.
-The rumour, that Lord Liverpool and Mr. Vansittart
were about to retire from the Ministry, has been contra-
dicted.

A deputation of merchants in the Quebec trade had an
interview with Lord Melville, and the Board of Admit;
salty on Saturday. They represented to the board, that I,
in consequence of the seamen belonging to the merchant-
vo:sels arrived out at Quebec having been offered 90s.
per month to serve in his Majesty's ships on Lakes .Eric
and Ontario, whilst they received only 355. per month
in the merchants service, the whole of the crews had left
their employ and joined the navy, and the ships were de-
tained at Quebec, to the great loss of the owners of the
vessels and cargoes. Lord Melville reminded the 4;e:ide-
s:nen, that it had invariably been the custom duriag peace
to obtain men for his Majesty's ships of war in the colo-
nies by means of the merchant service. With respect to
the wages given, at the rate of !)os. per month, his lord-
ship was totally at a loss to explain, as only per
month were allowed by Government. If any advanoe
was made beyond that sum, it must have been done by
way of bounty. He assured the deputation, that no
time should be lost in writing out to the proper officers
t.) allow all the accommodation in their power to the
merchant-vessels; and promised, at the same time, that
Gtn•ernonent would as speedily as passible send out a
n ranvort, with men, to supply the deficiency of bands
i s North America.