The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-10 00:00:00

CAPTURE QF 4 SLAVER BP
MAJESTY'S BRIG HERON.

HEI

Her Majesty's brig Heron weighed from Black
Point Bay, on the west coast of Africa, on the
17th of April, and ran under easy sail until ioff the
roadstead of Loango, intending to lookandsee that
there was nothing there. Ou the afternoon of the
same day a small brigantine was discovered, but
the chase was discontinued at 4 p.m. on her show-
ing French colours ; the ship (Heron) then stood
off the land under double reefed topsails, and re-
' maned in the same position nearly all the night,
as the wind fell light. On the Sunday morning,
April 18, when about 25 mites to the northward of -
Loango, about 11.30 a.m., the man at the fore
royal yard said he thought he saw it• sail, which
was at first made out to 'be a brig stand-
ing to the westward. The Heron then made
all sail in chase, though the wind was very light.
The vessel was then observed to tackaoripd.tnrs.t)anbde
to the southward ; she could then (1 3
seen from the deck, and was made out to be a
barque. Ou her making the Heron out to be a
man-of-war, she tacked and stood away,to the
northward, at the same time making all, possible
sail. Of course the Heron did the same, eoniiek,
up with her hand over fist ; the Heron came up.
with her about six, but she had succeeded in gets
lief; to windward of the brig, tacked, and again
stood to the southward, at tae same time setting a •
topmast studding sail. A blank gun was then
fired from the brig to make her heave-to or show
her colours ; she still stood on, so a shot was put
across her bow ; she then showed an American
ensign in the mizen rigging for about a minute,
but still stood on. A shot was then put across _
her srern, which had the effect of making her let
eve rythiug go by the run. The two quarter-boats
of the brig, tnrier the command of the second
lieutenant (Chapman), master (Smart), and the
clerk (Johnstone), were then despatched to board
her ; on their getting on board, the captain told
them he was bound from Cuba to Macao, in
China, for Chinese emigrants, calling at Ascension
and St. Helena, and that he had put in to re-
pair a leak occasioned by touching on a reef 'in
the West Indies—the best of it was there is no
port or harbour of any sort within many miles of
where he was. His papers were then looked at,
and it was found that he had no manifest,
a d no clearance, no log book, or track chart ;
his men were then mustered, and there was one
mere than the number. One of the Heron's
men thee reported that there were met'i stowed
away in the fora peak, and on searching, a craw of
twelve men, all Spaniards, were found, making a
crew in all of twenty-five. The vessel was then
taken, and shortly after the commander came on
beard, and whilst, in conversation with the master
of the barque, the latter threw his colours over-
board, thus making himself a vessel of no nation,
and therefore a legal prize. It was found after-
wiinis that she had a complete slave-deck laid, and
had slave coppers and slave irons, besides having
120 tons of water, and likewise a regular slave
cargo. In addition to this, 1,2001. in dotibloona
were found on the persons of the crew. This vessel
was despatched the following day, under the
charge of the second lieut. (Chapman), and a prize
crew of 12 men, to Sierra Leone, for condemnation.