New-York daily tribune., 1843-06-28
n,mc,,tv ON the Coast of africa,

! following are the details OF the affair as '" ue'
! them from copies Of official documents "tich
have been laid before the authorities at WASH /.
ington
The vessel was the briganhne Robert, owned
bv Nessrs. Gilman g. Smull. OF tins CITY, and
commanded by Capt Albert Cook. After trading
a, many other places along the coast, she arrived
at Sierra Leone on the 30th OF March last, under
/ the sole charge of the master-the supercargo,
/ Nh E. r. Ware, remaining at the Rio Nunez TO
trade The day after her arrival, Captain Cook
called at the Custom House to report, and told
the clerk that the manifest, which he handed IN,
contained & list of all the articles board so jar
as he kner; and added that, he had been
trading on the Coast for three months past. there
might be other articles on board Of which he was
not aware. The next day he called upon the
| British Collector, Mr.. Mccormack, and made
the same communication TO him, saying that the
difficulty Of being accurately informed concern
ing his cargo was greatly increased by the facts that
the first mate had died, and the supercargo was
absent The Collector in the presence OF Nr.
r. Lawrence, a Merchant at Sierra Leone, de-
clared that the explanation was quite satisfactory
and promised shat if any other articles were DIS
covered, the report might be amended and no
seizure should be made.
On the 18th of April, Capt. Cook gave notice
that he was about 10 leave the port The Col
ector, in discharge Of his duty, searched the yes
sci and found eight small packages of tea, con-
tanning l3 lbs. each, which were not III the man
fest He refused to allow the report to be
tamended, seized the tea, claimed Of the master
the forfeiture, and refused to clear the vessel un-
til the 18th Of April. On the l1tb, having re-
ceved her clearance, the Robert stood out to sea.
She had cleared the harbor, and had got into the
broad sca-beng westward of the Cape and IN
the Atlantic-whcn she was boarded by Collector
Mccormack, who found the captain absent and
the mate in charge, pilot beng at the he!m.-
Mr.. Mccormack gave orders to put the vessel
back which DONE Capt. Cook, seeing the
vessel returning, Immediately went on board
handed note to Mr.. Mccormack which he SAID
would satisfy him, and ordered the man at the
wheel to put about and stand out to sea. Mr..
Mccormack went aft, seized the captain by the
shoulders, and thrust him from The wheel The
captain turned and pushed him off, the cabin
door being open and near, MIR. Mccormack fell
headlong down the stairs, but instantly returned,
seized the captain, who had been able to procure
no weapon but spy glass, and called out for his
boats crew of negroes, who immediately y came
on board as did also the pilots negro crew, and
the fight became general between the captains
crew and the two bands Of negroes. The latter
proved the victors. Capt. Cook WAS thrown upon
the deck, his clothes Torn oil, his body trampled
upon, and he dragged by rope across the deck
and lashed to u gun. His crew were treated in
similar manner, and watched BY McCornack's
men, who armed themselves with knives and
axes found on board. While the men were bind
ing the captain, Mccormack said TO them,
" Don't be afraid of him." " Do MT be fooling
with him" &c. Capt. Cook was left on deck,
exposed half naked TO a broillng sun, denied his
hat or any shelter, and treated in the most brutal
manner. His watch was seized and thrown into
the rigging, and the vessel was taken up the river
several miles to frcetown. Capt Cook was
there thrust into dungeon, where no white man
could live many days, and only removed TO more
endurablc quarters after urgent solicitation and
the offer Of heavy bail by friend.
The vessel was then searched agan--but
nothing found on board not included IN the mani
fest except the ammunition i'll her magazine pro-
vided for her defence, for making signals, &c,
and which formed no part OF her cargo. The
Collector seized the ships Register, her Clear
ance, accounts Of sale of her cargo, and other
private papers, and removed the Chronometer
some bags of money! and other arliclcs-Somc Of
schich hare nerer been restored On the 2lst Of
April they were formally demanded and surren
dered with the exception ofthe Clearance, which
the Collector said he should retain till the Cap
tain's alleged forierres (n amount t2O0) were
paid. He was told by the Captains legal ad
wiser that the vessel could not be detained on
those grounds, and on the 22d gave up the Clear
ance.
The Captain and Mate were brought up before
the Police and, on the testimony of Mccormack
and his men, were fined f5 each and discharged
The testimony given by Mccormack differed
from that introduced in defence (Which we have
tollowed,) III this point ony-that Mccormack
declares Capt. Cook committed the first assault
and struck him with his fst the defence de-
clares that Capt. Cook was seized first and that
hs alleged blow was only a push to clear him
self from Mccormack.
Capt. Cook immediately wrote 10 Lieut.. Arthur
Lewis commanding the U. $ brig Porpoisc, con-
cernng the affair, enclosing copies OF the tcsti-
mony gwen before the Police and all other papers
necessary. Lieut.. Lewis forwarded them 10 the
Secretary of the Navy, by whom they were
handed over 10 the State Department
1t is alleged by Mccormack that he only acted
IN performance of his duty.