The Sun.
London, England, 1823-01-11 00:00:00

FROM THE AMERICAN PAPERS.

AFatcA.—By the Ruby, from St. Sago, Cape
de Verds, we have received from our attentive
Correspondent a file of the Sierriaeune Gazette
to July 13, from which we mate the following
extracts :
" SIERRA LEONE, JUNE 15.—1 n another co-
lumn we give in detail the particulars of the en-
terprise undertaken by the boats of the Iphigenia
and Myrmidon in the Bonny against the slave
dealers, the successful execution of which has li-
berated from bondage one thousand six hundred
and fifteen of our fellow men. We have often had
occasion to offer our feeble tribute of gratitude and
praise to the officers of his Majesty's navy on this
station, for their well-directed and incessant exer-
tions in the cause of suffering humanity ; but in
the present instance their conduct is above all
praise. The determined zeal which Sir Robert
Mends has manifested since his arrival on this
coast, and the successful results of the sqtfad-
ron under his command, must for ever place
that officer among the most distinguished be.
nefactors of Africa. In less than three mouths,
upwards of 2,000 negroes have been wrested
from the grasp of Spanish, Portuguese, and
French renegadoes, and placed under the fos-
tering care of British benevolence in this Co-
lony, from whence many of them may yet return
to their own countrymen, competent to impart
to them in their turn the blessings of civilized
life. To have been instrumental in conferring
so much benefit to the children of Africa, and
on their posterity, who would otherwise have
been condemned to perpetual slavery, must be
to Sir Robert Mends and his gallant officers, the
most delightful reflection and the best reward.
The late captures in the Bonny must fully con.
firm our repeated assertions as to the horrible
entent to which the traffic in slaves is carried on
in that river. The severe check given the traders
there in October last by Captain Leeke, appears
to have been soon forgotten ; unfortunately, none
of our cruisers had been employed to leeward
from that date up to April last. The squadron,
during the period above alluded to, was under
the immediate direction of Capt. Kelly.
On the subject of the French slave trade, we
are unwilling to trust our own feelings ; the
pertinacity with which the subjects of His Most
Christian Majesty have persevered in what we
have been led to believe is to them an illegal

traffic, cannot but excite the reprobation and
disgust of the liberal and humane of all coun-

tries. The detention and seizure of three armed
vessels, filled with slaves of that nation in
the Bonny for their piratical attack on boats
bearing the British ensign, and employed in the
execution of their duty, proves to the world that
many French subjects on this coast are not only
slave dealers but pirates, if indeed a distinction
is to be drawn between them.

" JUNE 9.0.—0 n Wednesday last Commodore
Sir Robert Mends s4iled for Europe, ria the West
Indies
despatched : p
r previously usl yto his
three
Frenchdeparture,
si
te b
rSi igrs
,R. had
which
were captured in the Bonny, to England. It is
with much pleasure we understand that a por-
tion of the squadron is to be kept constantly
cruizing between the Gold Coast and the Bights
of Benin and Biafra. This arrangement, we are
confident, must be attended with the most he.
neficial results to the cause of humanity ; for
we know from experience that the rainy season
has always been the richest harvest for the
slave dealers. his Majesty's brig Thistle is
now in the Bight of Biafra, for which station
the driver sailed on Monday last. Yesterday,
the Snapper also sailed on a cruise to leeward,
and we understand, with directions from the
Commodore to visit the new American settle-
ment at Mesurudo, with the view of affording the
colonists there any assistance or protection that
they might require."

SOUTH AMERICA.

OPERATIONS OF THE ROYALIST FORCES.

ST. CROIX) NOVEMBER 2.—By the accounts
received this day from good authority, it ap-
pears that General Morales, after taking pos-
session of Maracaibo and the forts of San Carlos
and Gibraltar, sailed thence for Porto Cabello,
having the most considerable- part of his force,
and taking with him the frigate Ligera, the brig
Hercules, and two schooners. The latter were
cast away on the coast of Coro, and the ship and
brig got safe into Porto Cabello, where they now
are. About the time of General Morales' de-
parture from Maracaibo, General Urdaneta,
with 3,500 troops, arrived at Truxillo from the
kingdom of Santa Fe, and was therefore with-
in 2. days march of the Spanish forces at Gibraltar.
The arrival of so large a force enabled General

Paez to return from Truxillo with his troops to
Valencia, where they arrived on Friday evening,
the 18th ult.—ln addition to the Colombian

forces under General Urdaneta, it appears Ge-
neral Montello had landed at Rio de la Hache
a considerable body of troops.; and after land-
ing, directed the Lady Borringdon corvette, of
34 guns, the Tarantula, of 14 guns, and two
schoners, in which he brought his troops from
Carthagena, to cruise off the Bar of Maracaibo,
so as to prevent the Spaniards from getting out,l
as he appeared confident of uniting his force with'
that of General Urdaueta, and obliging the Spa-
nish troops to capitulate, and deliver up the
City and Forts. Between La Guayra and Va-
lencia there are, without exaggeration, 12,000
troops, exclusive of militia or volunteer corps,
at La Guayra, Caraccas, San -Pedro, Maracaibo,
Victoria, and Valencia. On Monday last Gen. Paez
was to have renewed the siege of 'Porto Cabello
with 3000 men ; and eighteen vessels of different

classes were under orders to sail from La Guayra

as soon as possible, for the purpose of blockading
that place; ana,as a preparatory measure, an em-
bargo was laid on at La Guayra. The naval force
consists of several brigs, schooners, &c. but the
principal ones destined to attack the Spanish
frigate and brig were, the corvette under the com-
mand of Commodore Daniels, and the Indepen-
dencia. Commodore Daniels has got the com-
mand of the expedition, and is determined, at
the risk of all, to destroy the Spanish force. He
has brought 400 sailors and mariners iu the cor-
vette and brig from New York.