The Sun.
London, England, 1841-11-03 00:00:00

CAPTURE OF SLAVERS.-
(From the London Gazette of last Evening.)
ADMIRALTY, NOVEMBER 1, 1841:
A. despatch was this day received from Cpialie
William Tucker, the Senior Officer of her MajestY'a
ships and vessels on the western coast of Africa, of
which the following is a copy :
Her Majesty's Sbip Iris, at Sea, lat. 5 deg. 28 min. N.
lat. 0 deg 45 min. E., Aug. 5, 1841.
SIR,—I beg to transmit, for the information of the
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, the accom-
panying duplicate letter from Lieutenant Littlehales,
commanding her Majesty's brigantine Dolphin, ad-
dressed to Captain Nurse, the original of which was
forwarded by the Forester, but did not reach either
Captain Nurse or myself, reporting a most successful
and gallant attack and capture made by the boats of
the Dolphin, under the immediate command of Mr
A. C. Murray (a mate of six years' standing), and Mr.
John F. Rees, second master.
I have great pleasure in requesting their Lordships
attention to the fifth and sixth paragraphs, which re-
port most strongly the conduct of Messrs. A. C. Murray
and J. F. Rees, and of John Smith (A. 8.), who has
this day been invalided from the effects of the wound.
At the same time, I beg to add my approbation and
admiration of the conduct of those concerned, and of
Mr. Rees to state, that, since his arrival on this sta-
tion, he has twice taken a passage in the vessel I have
commanded, and proved himself a most zealous and
gallant officer, particularly in the destruction of the
Slave factories at Corisco, by the boats of the Wolverine.
I have, &c.,
(Signed) WILLIAM TUCKER,
Captain and Senior Officer in Command.
To R. More O'Fcrrall, Esq., &c. &c., Admiralty.
Her Majesty's Brigantine Dolphin, off Eltnina
Quits, at Sea, June 8, 1841.
SIR,—In having the honour to make a special re-
port of. the detention of the Brazilian brigantine Firme,
fully equipped for the slave trade, I trust you will ex-
cuse the rather lengthened detail of the circumstances
connected with her capture, as I have every reason to
hope it would induce feu to make the strongest possi-
ble report to the Lords' Commissioners of the Admiralty
in favour of the two Officers in charge of the bolts.
At daylight on the morning of Sunday, the 30th
daufAty,
_teing ;place easy-sail off W hydah, with
lEe wuid-.off the land, our head being to the west-
ward, a brigantine was observed on the Ice bow,
all sail was immediately made in chase, the stranger
soon after doing the same, !tiering to the south-
west. We at first (probably in consequence of
being in shore, and having the land wind stronger)
closed her so much as to rise the top of her hull,
but the wind getting light as we drew off, and the
stranger increasing her distance, I was induced, at
half-past six to dispatch the cutter and gig armed,
with Mr. Murray (Mate) and Mr. Rees ;.Second
Master), under the orders of the former Officer, to en-
deavour to come up t 5 i:h and detain the chase (evidently
a slaver), before the setting in of the sea breeze.
At nine we observed, from aloft, the boats appa-
rently pull alongside the stranger, her head being then
in shore ; not long after, I had the satisfaction to
sec her bear up for the Dolphin, which had then
made all sail to the light sea breeze, just setting in.
Shortly after noon the Brigantine passed under our
lee, hailing, to say they had captured her, after a resis-
tance of twenty minutes, with, I regret to say, the loss
of two seamen killed, Mr. Murray and one seaman
severely, and two others slightly, wounded.
On ' Mr. Murray's appearance on board, I found
that, alt.tr about two hours and a half pull, they had
come up with the chase, the gig being rather a-head ;
for which the vessel (having no colours flying), as
well as the lightness of the wind would permit,
bore down, opening a sharp and continued fire of
musquetry, which was returned ; when both boats,
after steadily reloading under their fire, cheered and
boarded on each quarter. Great resistance was met with
in the act of boarding, but little after Messrs. Murray
and Rees, with four or five men, had once got fairly on
her deck, most of the crew run below, firing their
muskets as they retreated. The bowman of the gig,
William Allen, A. 8., was shot through the heart in the
act of laying his oar in, and the bowman of the cutter,
William Jacobs, A. 8., when getting up the side.
I have great pleasure in calling your attention to
the conduct of Mr. Murray (Mate of six years' stand-
ing), who was the first to board, though he was
knocked back into the boat with the butt end of a
musket (which broke his collar bone), but imme-
diately clambered up the side again, in the act of
which his left hand was nearly severed at the wrist
with the blow of a cutlass ; another cut was made
at his bead, which he fortunately parried, cutting the
man down ; this circumstance, together with Mr.
Rees crossing over at the same moment and cutting
down another cf the party opposing the boarders on
that side was the occasion of her quick capture. I beg
to observe, that this is the second effiir of this descrip-
tion in which Mr. Rees, a most active and zealous
officer, and who has been constantly away in the Dol-
phin's boats, has been engaged in during his service on
the coast, he having he .n one of the officers who landed
at Corisco, when that place was destroyed by Captain
Tucker, the senior officer.
I beg also particularly to mention the conduct of
John Smith, A. B. an old and first-rate seaman, who
has served on the coast in her Majesty's ships Ari-
adne, Brisk, and Athol, five years and a half ; he
was the first man to beard with his officer, and was
engaged with three cf the crew at once ; his right
arm being disabled by the blow of a cutlass, and
badly fractured, he continued fighting with his left ;
his life was saved through Mr. Rees cutting down one
of the three on him. Of the two seamen who
were killed, William Allen and William Jacobs
' (A. 8.) the first was a very steady well-behaved
man, and supported his aged parents, who depended
solely on him, giving all his advance, and allotting
half of his pay to them previous to leaving England ;
the other was the smartest seaman in the vessel, and
a very well behaved man ; he has left a wife, to whom
he also allotted half of his pay.
I trust you will excuse my bringing to your notice
the circumstance that the cutter of the Dolphin is but
a twenty foot boat, having, at the time, only nine
persons, including the officer, in her, the gig only six ;
both boats were soddeaed from constant blockading,
and pulled very heavy, and that the crews had
had a long harrassing pull of two hours and a half,
under a hot sun, without their breakfasts, after
a squally rainy morning, during which they were eon- e
gently employed trimming and making sail. The
sweeps of the brigantine were rigged out, which pre
vented the party boarding by the chains, thereby r' -
&ring it much more difficult to get on board, or for
more than one or two to get up her side at a time, she
being as high out of the water as the Dolphirt ; her
crew fired well, the shot falling in every chrectic e round
and through the boats and amongst the peiere.e,
themselves never showing above the gunettsle of the
brigantine.
The Firme, a beautiful vessel (179; t lately
built at Baltimore, was direct from Bahia, and had
only just made the land, not having:: had communi-
cation. The regular official papetA-e- with the Bra-
zilian flag, were found on board,iroving her to be
Brazilian property ; there werel ten passengers not
down in the official list, two or :three of which were
to remain at Whydah, and tither places, as slave
agents ; they were all I fancy tesing muskets, at all events
they were handing powder ap from the cabin, and to
persons firing from the stele, scuttles in the cabin. I
secured them, with the orr-i!, hand and foot, and kept
them on bread and watt'' for eight days, landing all at
Accra (except those n: fessary for condemnation), not
being able, through t'e heaviness of the surf; to land
them to the eastware
In consequence of the crew of the prize keeping
always beneath the gunwale, and running below after
our people got on board, only two were killed ; one
severely, and v e slightly, wounded.
Fronk the ilnssengers we understood that the Cap-
tain and et ew were determined not to be taken by
English iv, `-war's boats, and had paid the greatest at-
tention I. their arms, &c., during the passage.
I have, &c.,
(Siened) ED LiLeultTenTanLtEcHomAraLaEnS.d,ing:
To,tapt. Nurse, Senior Officer, West Coast of Africa.
ADMIRALTY, Nov.
. With reference to the above despatch,netdheaLords
promoting Mr.
'Commissioners of the Admiralty have sig cm_
eaission dated the I to the rank of
Augustus Charles of
Murray,hl
Lieutenant. OMeatoteb,er,
this day, the Board have
By minute also, dated
John Fletclivisri Rees, Second
directed that Mr.
Master, be promoted to the rank of
aster ; and that
John Smith, able seam. shall receive a Boatswain's
; warrant ; on their sever
tivtill pank s.
ye
rass,nb the
ec required exami-
nations for their reap

PROMISSORY NOTES.
(From Last Night's Gazette.)
Account a the Average Aggregate Amount of Promissory
An
.able to Bearer on Demand which have been in
Noteupa
Circulation in the United Kingdom, distinguishing those
by the Bank of England, by Private Banks, and
yoththeer
tyircJoint Stock 13anks, in England and Wales,
b y
all by Banks
in Scotland, by the Bai.k. of Ireland,
Banks
in Ireland, and of the Average Amount of Bullion in the
Bank of England, during the Four Weeks preceding the
13th day of October, ISt!, pursuant to the Act of 4 and
5 Victoria, cap. 50.

ENGLAND.

Bank of England...
Private Banks
Joint stock Banks.
SCOTLAND.
Private r.nd Joint Stork Banks
IRELAN D.

"......••• ••••• Z 17,340,000
6,253,964
•• ......... 3,519,3 M

Bank of Ireland ........................ 3,060,750
Private and Joint Stock Banks. 0,165,395

Total..

£35,563,199

' Bullion in the Bank of England. . £4,290,000
HENRY L. WICKHAM.
Stamps and Taxes, Nor. 1, 1841.

The Court of Quarter Sessions at Portsmouth
is said by the Hants Advertiser, to be the only Court of
the kind in the kingdom which is closed to the public.