The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-28 00:00:00

CAPTURE OF A SLAVER.

We have been favoured by a correspondent at Sierra
Leone with the following account of the capture and de-
struction of the slaver Tres-Amigos, a Brazilian brig of
415 toes, with 10 officers and 46 men, by her Majesty's
steam•sloop Devastation, R. Levingo commander:—
"On the morning of March 16th, being in lat. 5.30
N., long. 3.10 E. of Greenwich, the Devastation chased
a suspicious-looking brig, which, on seeing her, imme-
diately made all sail, and ran in towards the land. After a
chase of 511. 30m., with all sail set, and making eighteen
revolutions in the minute, firing the long gun, loaded
with shot, at 10h. 45m. the stranger hoisted a Brazilian
ensign at the main, and in a quarter of an hour from
that time she ran upon the beach near the river Lagos,
in lat. 6.20 N., long. 3.10 E. of Greenwich. Two boats
were seen to leave the brig, filled with men, who es-
caped to the shore. The steamer having come close up
and anchored, immediately manned and armed her boats
and sent them to board, under command of First Lieut.
P. M. Godfrey, with Acting Lieut. J. Carmichael and
Mr. T. Coutts, boatswain. They found the brig well
armed, two long 18-pounders on pivots, one between the
masts and the other abaft the mainmast; two broadside
guns forward (18-pounders), and two brass swivels on
the bulwarks of the quarter-dock; also nettings to repel
boarders, ammunition, muskets, cutlasses, blunderbuses
—in fact, every kind of weapon for defending a vessel.
" The surf was very dangerous, one of the boats of
the Devasta'ion being dashed to pieces alongside the
slaver, and the crew washed ashore; one also upset, and
was driven ashore by the rollers, and the brig in a short
time became a total wreck. The officers and men, after
cutting away the masts with their cutlasses, found it
necessary to swim ashore for their lives. The brig
parted amidships. One marine was lost in trying to
swim ashore.

"The man who had been looking out at the mast-head
of the slaver was seen in the surf, heavily ironed, having
been thrown overboard by the captain for not keeping a
better look -out and seeing the cruiser before. The
Devastation's crew tried to save the poor fellow, but his
irons took him down. The surf ran so high as to make
it quite impossible to get off to the Devastation, so the
men had to remain ashore till the next morning, when
the paddle-box boat was anchored at the back of the
surf, and the dingy being well buoyed up with cork
fenders and bunkers, was veered ashore by hauling lines.
After various attempts, which proved successful, in em-
barking the men, they were all got off. The French
man-of-war brig Leger rendered every assistance in
trying to get the men off. Too much praise cannot be
given to the captain, officers, and ship's company of this
brig for their valuable services.
" All the prisoners, ten in number, who were found on
board the brig were saved.
" The Devastation has also taken an American brig
under Brazilian:colours, with 520 slaves on board, bound
to Rio. _ _ _

" The Tres-Amigos had made several successful trips
tom the coast. On the last voyage she landed at Babia
1,400 slaves."

DEATH OF ADMIRAL THE HON.
SIR ROBERT STOPFORD, G.C.B.

This venerable and much respected naval officer ex-
pired on Friday forenoon at his temporary residence at
Richmond, at the advanced age of 80, and after a service
in the Royal Navy of a period close upon 70 years.
Latterly the gallant officer has been best known as
Governor-General of Greenwich Hospital. Sir Robert
Stopford was a member of the noble house of Courtown,
and was born in 1768, being the son of the second Earl
of Courtown. When at a tender age he entered the
navy, and after a probationary service as midshipman,
was appointed to a lieutenantcy on the 15th of July,
1785. His further commissions were thus dated :
Commander, June 2, 1789 ; captain, August 12, 1790 ;
rear-admiral, April 28, 1808 ; vice-admiral, August 12,
1812; and Admiral, May 27, 1825. The career of the
deceased was distinguished by circumstances of more
than ordinary brilliancy. In Rodney's action of the
12th of April, 1782, he was midshipman of the Prince
George. In Howe's action he was captain of the
Aquilon, and in Cornwallis's retreat he commanded the
Phaeton. At the battle of St. Domingo, where he was
wounded, he was captain of the Spencer, 74. He sub-
sequently received a medal for his conduct at the latter
engagement. In Gambier's expedition to Copenhagen,
which followed, he commanded the same vessel. In
1809 he was rear-admiral in command of the squadron
which destroyei three French frigates under the bat-
teries of Sables d'Olonne. He next distinguished him-
self while commanding the second shore squadron during
the attack upon the French fleet in Aix Roads. Ile also
commanded a squadron at the Cape, in the Scorpion
(74); and subsequently the naval forces at the capture
of Java, in 1813. He returned to England, and remained
somewhat inactive, until 1839 and 1840, when, as Com-
mander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean, he superintended
the operations on the coast of Syria, and bombardment
of St. Jean d'Acre, for his services at which he received
the special thanks of Parliament,
On the Ist of May, 1841, Sir Robert was appointed to
the Governorship of Greenwich Hospital. an office now,
of course, vacant, the salary being 1,5001. per annum,
with residence, &c. He held the Orders of Knight
Grand Cross of the Bath, also that of St. Michael and
St. George. In 1841 he received the Order of St.
George, second class, from the Emperor of Russia, and
the Grand Cross of the Red Eagle from the King of
Prussia. He received the Order of Maria Theresa in
the same year. The deceased married, in 1809, Miss
Fanshaw, by whom he has had issue several children.
Two of his sons are in the navy, and his second daughter
is the relict of Lord 11. Russell, who died in 1842.