The Statesman.
London, England, 1824-02-02 00:00:00

SHOCKING CATASTROPHE.

The Lisbon Papers received on Friday contain an ac-
count of the destruction of 252 persons, chiefly blacks, in
the 11014 of a vessel of Para, where they had been confined,
in consequence of a very extensive mutiny, with a view to
murder all the Europeans in the place. The following are
the particulars:—
On the 15th of October, a desperate insurrection burst
forth among the military at Para (a city in the northern
province of Brazil.) The Soldiers soddenly cried out
" Long live the Emperor, and death to the Europeans,"
and began to plunder the inhabitants. They were however
ultimately subdued by a party of English under Captain
Orenfell, of the brig of war Maranhao', and five of the
ringleaders were shot publicly, and 256 carried prisoners
on board a ship, where the following horrible catastrophe
took place :
About nine on the night of the 19th, the sentinels on
deck heard a great noise below, and repeatedly ordered
ciletness, without effect. In a short time they found the
prisoners were forcing the hatches, and they immediately
fired one or two volleys among them, after which every
thing was quiet. In the morning they took off the
hatches, to remove the dead, if any, when they found only
four out of the two hundred and fifty six alive ! The
place presented a most appalling spectacle of lacerated and
mangled bodies. Some had their eyes thrust out : the
tongues of some, hung out of their mouths : others had
their ribs stove in: mouths torn from ear to ear. Some
were hanging by their hammock strings by the neck ;
others by their middle, with their heads down ; and some
had undergone mutilation too horrible to be described.
The writer had this account, at which human nature
shudders, from an eye-witness, the first Lieutenant of the
brig, who was first on board in the morning. It appears
the carnage commenced by a party of them wishing to mnr-
der all the Europeans oho were their fellow prisoners
(about, perhaps, ten or twelve in number), but that being'
in the dark, they despatched many who were not, which
excited ill-hlood.• They dill not, moreover, all agree
upon escaping by force, which increased the animosity
amongst them, and a mutual massacre of the most savage
nature cotnmenceil ; for they hail no edged weapons, nor
any thing hit their hands and their hammock ropes. They
were all naked, their clothes being torn front their backs.
They had piled op the dead bodies under the hatches to
form a kind of platform to enable them to reach the gratings,
and most of these bodies were of Europeans. About twenty
were killed by the discharges of musketry. The four who
were ft and alive had hidden themselves under the water
casks at the commencement of the fray, anti had not, it
appeared, suffered in health. One man was found nearly
strangled, but still alive; but he died on the way to the
hospital from a slight fall. It is the writer's opinion that
shocking as this catastrophe was, it was probably fortu-
nate for the friends of order, as it appeared that these
wretches had formed the most diabolical plans of massacre
and plunder. (the other account to which we have al-
luded states that the English, too, were marked out
amongst their victims.)

• The other account supposes .they had destroyed each other
in a fit of insanity or desperation.

MEETING OF THE ENGINE SILK WEAVERS.

On Saturday night last. pursuant to adjournment, the
Engine Silk Weavers held their meeting at the Red Lion,
Plicrinix Street, Spitalfields, for the purpose of receiving
the Report of a Deputation previously appointed to wait
upon their employers with the result of the last General
Meeting.
A very satisfactory account of the business was given by
Mr. Illlcer ' • hut he added, that one of the masters, Mr.
Spiers, had gimlet' some new objections,and the following
letter from Mr. Spiers was read :
" January 31,1824.
" Mr. Num SW—Having received a circular, list of
prices, stating to be definitively and unanimously settled
between the masters and journeymen engine weavers in
general, that there are articles there in stated, the prices
of which never have or can nieet my approbation, it being
a considerable advance on the prices I am now paying,
,
anu consequently, never can concede to it passing into a
law, being incompatable to my interest, and shall certainly
feel myself under the necessity of opposing it in Court,
should the attempt be made to c•irry it into effect.
" I am, Sir, yours, Br.c.
" JOSEPH SPICKS.
_ _ .

2, Church Street, Spitalfields.
" N.B. The articles alluded to are 4-inch and i-inch
single shot hands. You are aware also that I ant not at
all satisfied with the price of the 4-inch Blucher hands."
After several speeches, in the course of which a servant
of Mr. Spiere, who was preent, was requested to leave the
room, and retired accordingly, the following Resolutions
were unanimously agreed to :
" I. That as the entire of our employers (with the soli-
tary exception of Mr. Spier.) have agreed with us in an
amicable adjustment of our late unhappy differences, net
cannot therefore, with either justice or consistency to our-
selves, take any notice whatever of the letter now read by
our Secretary from that gentleman.
e

" 2. That our Deputation do still persevere in their la-
bours to a complete and bappy termination of those dif-
ferences so unfortunately felt by the employed as well as
the employers.
" 3. That this meeting do adjourn until next Saturday
night, for the purpose of receiving the Report of Stleila p-
plication."
Thanks were afterwards voted to the Deputation and
Chairman, after which the meeting, at an early hour, se-
parated.

Meetings have taken place at Southampton and Nor
with, for the purpose of supporting Government in th
execution of the measures proposed and adopted by th
House of Commons, for the gradual abolition of slavery
The result of them is very different : the petition at Nor
whit has been careied.nnaninsously, after an eloquent and-
explanatory speech by Mr. J. Gurney, which we regret
that the press of waiter this day prevents us from insert-
ing. At Southamptaii, the propositienst-of !if etAtinbeir•-•
lapse, in countenance of each measures as look inward
"to a progressive improvement in the character of the
slave population, inch as may prepare them for civil rights
arid privileges," yielded to the following resolution, sub-
mitted by Mr. F. Beckford," by way of amendment,
which was carried by a small majority on a show of hands,
and apparently by a sort of surprise :
" Resolved—That this meeting, trusting to the wisdom
of our Legislature, and having before our eyes the recent
insurrection at Demerara, and the present disturbed state
of our West India Colonies, consider the farther discus-
sion of the delicate question of Negro improvement and
emancipation as premature, unwise, dangerous, and impo-
litic."--The Mayor was requested to have the numbers
counted, as the division appeared to be very equal ; but
this he declined, stating that he was certain the majority
was for Mr. Berkford.

William %Vycne. Esq. President of the Court of Appeals.
has bees appointed to the situation of Commissioner of
Law Inquiry, vacant by the resignation of John Doherty,
Esq. ildr. Wynne is brother to Owen Wynne, Esq. Member
0
lof r iament for the town of Sligo.—(Dsblin Monsing
P •
it Agin '.—lt is understood that Major-Oeneral Foil-
Or, from the Coldstream Beards. will be appointed Co-
lonel of the 96th (to he raised) Regiment of Infantry.
On Tuesday evening, a meeting took placeat the George
Inn. Aylesbury. fur the purpose of forming a Committee to
frame a Petition to Parliament for the mitigation and firs-
dual abolition of slavery in the British colonies. Mr. Bull
I was called to the chair.