Star.
London, England, 1826-01-13 00:00:00

THE Spin: Tll ADE.

The fsainwit3g are.estraicts from I. tiers received" in
Glasgow, from a Gentleman on ho.rd his M rjesty's
ship Maidstone, col the coast or Afr'ca, dated at sea 3d
August, and Prince's Island. 12th September :
The small schooner, tinder Doter colours, rnr rationed
in my last, has been condemned. After taking her, we
came along the coast and boarded tv.eiry vessels, Only
two of them, to the best of my recnllecti la, in a fair
way of trade, the others evidently for slaves, and most
of thern.under.French colours. On the 29th July, while
cruising at sea, a brig was reported from the mast-
head, and all sail made after her. We came up with
her at 8 13.61. when shehoisted the Dutch flag. On borrd-
ing she was found well manned, armed, and fitted for a
slave cargo; and, from circumstances, it was evident
she intended making the land. According to our treaty
with the Dutch Government, we cannot seize any vessel,
fitted for slaves under their flag, unless within 2 geo-
graphic degree of the land; and this vessel was not in
the proper place for us; and, after being detained for
the eight on suspicion, she was alloxed to go, and set
sail in the morning in perfect security. We followei,
and being the fastest sailing vessel, kept sight of her
'till the 31st, when we hoisted colours and ti. el a m•isket.
She shortened sail. We sent a boat on b bard, and
finding that the man at tl'e mast-head reported
land, and that it was marked in her log-book, her crew
were brought on board the Maidstone, and the vessel
caprured. She is a fine large brig, with a valu-ble
cargo, and is supposed to he worth 4,0001. Being
manned horn our ship, she sailed in company with us
to N.W. Bay. Prince's Island; and after watering, she.
sailed for Sierra Leone for condemnation, and, it is
tho..glar, will meet the fate of the other.
When at P• loses Island, a Kroomen was sent over'

the Island, and on return, reported there were armed
vessels in Pott Ant nio harbour. Immediately on our
watering being tinislied,•we hoisted anchor, and in the
afternoon made Port Antonio, where we found two
brigs; one of t' em a large vessel pierced for 22 guns—
the other called the Concine,tadore, is an old stager on
the coast. Both of them were fitted up for slaves, but
had none on board, and being under the Spanish fl ig,
we had no althority over them in their present state.
The two will rake at least ow.thousand slaves.

Leaving this on the 6th, we came to anchor cff the
river Bonny, and the boats were prepared for a cruize
up the river, and a cutting out, it anythng off red.
These I was appointed to accompany. We passed the
bar of the river without the slightest danger, though it
was here my unfortunate friend Mr. lost his life.
The first vessel we boarded was a schooner; she did
not seem willing to shew her colours, but the firing of
a musket ball brought her to, and her colours were, as
usual, French. Next was a palm oil ship, which
shewed her flag long before we came near her. We
hoarded no less than sixteen vessels—all of them fitted
for slaves—twelve of them French, and four Spanish.
On. Si;attish brig was manned with 80 hands when she
came on the coast, but had lost a number of them by
death. She was mounted with 14 guns, and, by ac-
counts, very well disciplined for action. One of the
'French vessels had her slaves on board when we en
teed the river, and not knowing whether we were
French or English, commenced landing them, and had
thenrlanded before we boarded.
While him some of our party went ashore and visited
King Pepple. Their reception was hospitable, though
nut elegant. The King lives in a very pour style, but
it very poWerful and rich. He was unable to procure
slaves to supply the demand of the different ships, but
expected 200 next day from the inland: he looks on
them with far less interest than a farmer would on as
many head of cattle. On the .sth June he made a
human sacrifi e. Tire victim was a fine young lad.
When a sacrifice is to be made the v;crim is dressed in
a superb style, and painted; he is put into a canoe and
carried to the bar of the river, just as the tide begins
to ebb : here he is sl.oved overboard, and the sharks
swallow him. Tire victims are young persons, who are
purchased and kept on purpose. • woman or man is
alternately sacrificed ; the first is made to believe that
she is going home, and that the way is below the
sea=-the second is made to believe that he is going to
his own country, and following the woman who has
gone before him. The inhabitants of the place believe
that these sacrifices bring trade to the river.
• There'are several kinds of punishment made use of
here among the natives, the most horrific of which is
that of the ant tree. If a felon commits any 'peat
offence,- he is made fast by the arms and legs to a tree
infested with ants, which soon cover his whole body,
and pi. rce him with holes ; and in this dreadful state
he continues, the vermin working their way deeper and
deeper, till death puts an end to his sufferings.
In the Caliatiar, about nine miles distant from Bonny,
we boarded only two vessels, one French, the other
Spanish, which carried live guns, one a twenty our set
on a carriage which wrought on a 1 ng slide, which
again was set on a wcoden circle, the diameter of which
was equal to the breadth of the deck. On this circle
the slide could be moved round, carr yin g the gimscar-
nage with it, so as to point tore and aft, or on either
side. Notwithstanding this parade of force, these poor
wretches had no antidote to the poison of African efflu-
via, and were dying, as the phrase goes, like rotten
sheep. They had no slaves in; but there were 14
miserable beings in their slave room, in the last horrid
stage of African fever ; and the smell coming up the
hatches assailed me with such force that I was glad to
.make the best of my way to the boat and get a cigar
4 under ueigh.."
The 4th of this month, when at sea, we chased and
'Came up with a ship, found to be of 370 tons, under
French colours, and having on board no less than 698
slaves ; 700 had been her complement, but she had lost
two at sea by death. Several of them were labouring
under fever and a species of itch, arid the ship's com-
pany were sickly. Being under the French flag, we
had• no power over her, and left her to make the best of
her way to the slave marker.
Prince's Island, September 12.
The Esk arrived last night, and brought intelligence
of the capture of a Brazilian slave vessel, with 362
slaves by her, in company with the Redwing and A hol,
and that the last mentioned vessel had captured a brig,
under the Dutch trcat), being fitted for slaves, and taken
on shote.—Gtargoto lousier.

The consumption of Itum in the Clyde during last
y. ar was 66,000 gallons. In one day the quantity on
which duty was paid in Glasgnw %%as about 10,000 gal-
lons. In the ports below thtre was ,probahly an equal
quantity—or nearly on -third of last year's consump-
tion taken out-in r,ne day !

Tion.day night, Mr. RAISPIgR left ilie Foreign Offi e
with tikpatchts fin .Ltittl Ci.wswst.t.tats, the British Aelbausder
at

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