Star.
London, England, 1824-11-26 00:00:00

FROM A PHILADELPHIA PAPER.

lister/vim (Corm.) 0ct.12.
The Captain and crew of the brig Henry-, be.o ging
to this City, and lately captured by pirates, reached
their homes last week. Although every arrival brings
an account of new outrages committed by the bucca-
neers of the West Indies. yet it is only when they are
inflicted upon our neighbours and personal acquaint-
ances, that brings the subject home to our feelings.
—lt is with horror we contemplate the narrow hair-
breadth escape of Captain Rhodes and his men, who
were every man of them to have been coolly murdered
the morning after they were rescued by Captain Gra-
ham, of the British sloop of war. These men have all
of them their wives and children, or parents, and bro-
thers and sisters, in this city and neighbourhood. One
of them returned with his arm broken, by a blow with
the back of a sword, another his cheek sliced down
with a sabre, and all emaciated by starvation and thirst.
The account given of these pirates by Captain Rhodes,
is truly alarming to every one whose business may call
him to adventure on those seas. They appear to be a
well organised body of outlaws, countenanced, if not
aided, by the Spanish Governments. The port where
they were carried to was within six miles of Havannah,
a city not much inferior to New York, and the seat of
Government. It is impossible this establishment should
have been under the very eye of the Government for
more than two months without its connivance. Be.
sides, the characters of these pirates strew them to be
inhabitants of the Havannah, and to have associated
with respectable society. Nothing but their cruelty and
mode of life distinguishes them from the first men of
that city. They are between twenty and thirty-five
years of age, well dressed, temperate in drinking, and
not uncivil in their language.
This is a description of men not easily to be diverted
from their money-making trade. They are unlike tho,e
desperadoes whose intemperance and other vices would
soon terminate by death. On the contrary, they are
men of resources, careful of life, and when routed from
one place can settle down unmolested in another, and at
any time find a refuge under the regular Government
of the island. While Captain Rhodes was unloading his
mules, there came on board daily one or more men to
purchase, who appeared regular bred merchants or
planters. From these facts the conclusion is irresistible,
that the Government of the island is privy to these out-
rages upon the law of nations and of all civilised society.
The Government should be made responsible for them.
Such were the sentiments of Capt. G. that on his return
to Havannah with a long train of boats which had be-
longed to vessels burnt by the pirates, that he threat-
ened the Governor with making such a representation
to the. British Government as would induce it to take
possession of the island, unless a speedy check was put
to these piracies. The last account from there was, that
an embargo was laid at Havannah for three days to pre-
pare an expedition against these freebuoiers. ‘Ve hope
this effort may be successful ; and if not, that our (1
vernment may send out all its disposale e naval force to
occu.,y the ports and harbours infested by these mis-
creants, with or without the consent of the Spanish
.Grovernmat. •