The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-05-19

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS me Dy Cdptdin nussen. iHe Pio''Pt
and cordial manner in which he entered into my
views, and the energy with which he assisted In
carrying them into effect merit the highest praise
Nor afford TO notice the ready offers Of assist
ance received from the authorities of this port
| San expedition 10 ascend African river to such
a distance from its mouth, necessarily involves
much exposure and fatigue, and this is especially
the case with the Pongas.
at gives me much pleasure TO express my entire
appreciation Of the manner IN which Lieutenant
Blunt discharged his duties the officer in charge
of the expedition.
al sent by Lieutenant Reid to the proper authori-
ties the papers of the Spfre, and such other docu-
ments, as | think will be likely to insure her con-
domination.
~ have the honor to be, sir very respectfully,
"HENRY BRUCE,
"Commander.
"Hon. J. Y. MASON,
Secretary of the Navy,
Washington, d. c."
Extract of letter from an officer of the Truxton to
friend in this city:
| "SIERRA LEONE, April 4, l645.
Immediately that Commodore Skinner Joined the
station he despatched this vessel to search the Pongo
river, after vessel supposed to be engaged in the
slave-trade The Pongo is one of the most sickly
rivers the coast; and is therefore preeminently
adapted to shorten the lives of those rash adven-
turers who may dare to enter its deadly waters.
This alone made the expedition one of danger; but
you know that hold it somewhat cowardly to finch
from encounering the plague, if my duty
should lead me to do so.
al left the vessel anchored outside the bar and out
of sight Of land. The water about the mouth ofthe
Pongo is very shoal and muddy, and the entrance to
the river hard to find. | went up in command of
three officers and twenty-four men in two boats, and
accompanied by four boats from III. b. M. steamer
Ardent After ascending the river between Man
grove banks for twenty miles, through country
more horrible than the mind can imagine,-impene-
trable and unprecedented uninhabitable and unin-
| habited,-I passed rocky island and fifteen miles
further on turned off to the left, upon a narrow
creek, terminating between volcanic rocks. In the
head of this creek, slave factory owned by an
American ramed p. Faber found the schooner
| Sphre, model of perfection, and in beautiful or
der, moored head and stern After exami ned the
papers, the vessel, her casks which were quarter
| of mile further up the creek, and some of the
crew, concluded it was my duty to take her down
the river. / accordingly seized her, got her under
| weigh, and in four days from the time left the
| Truxton, her prize was anchored under her guns.
| | split no blood, and met no opposition. Several
| English boats went up In company, and according
to my orders, we co-operaed in every case where it
was necessary.
| ''Faber, who owns the factory, has been settled
| about the Pongo forty-slx years; is immensely
rich, and does extensive trade in slaves, supply
| ing all nations. Eight miles above him is another
who is great dealer also in negroes. Last year
the Spitfre took to Havana three hundred and
forty-six men and women. She Is ninety five tons
burthen; and where they slowed them, cannot i'm.
agne. am sorry have not got the Phoenix.
! could make my fortune or catch my death in few
| years. went a long distance up branch of the
Pongo in rearch of another American schooner, the
| Devereux; but having too small force to push my
way through hostile country-for here the people
| are numerous and warlike--l could not succeed in
| G. l. = l.. l.
rivers peculiarly adapted, from their secret windings,
tumngs and creeks and islands, for the shaving
| business"
| EXAMINATION AT BosToN.-The New York Com
mercal states that the officers and of the SLAYER
Spit6re were examined on Thursday by the United
States commissioner at Boston. Their names are:
Peter Flowery, captain; Ferdinand Weliz, Will
liam Offers, Henry Tangerman, VIM. Turner,
VIM. Pense, Frederick Ennes, Antonio del MILO
and Ebenezer Jackson.
Four others--Robert Smith, Thomas Turner, ].
C. Parker, and William Dawson, being part of the
crew of the schooner Manchester which sailed from
Boston last year for the coast Of Africa-were
brought home in the United States brig Truxton,
which captured the Spitfrc, as witnesses. They
were also before the commissioner, who committed
them, for want of bail to appear and testify.
1
The charges against the officers and crew of the
Sptfre was that they shipped on board the Spitfre,
at New Orleans, on the 10th of last December,
knowing that she to be engaged in the slave
trade, and took part in fitting her out for that pur-
pose. To this charge they pleaded "not guilty"
In support of the charge, the deposition of Thorn
as Turner, one of the four men from the Manches-
ter was read
At this stage of the proceedings, Mr. Chandler,
of counsel for the prisoners, said he would pres
ent interpose no objection to their being committed
to await the action of the grand jury; and the COM
missioner so disposed of them. The Boston Post
says
"Captain Flowery, rather short man, is appar-
emily about SO years of age, and belongs to New
York. The other prisoners are young men; six of
them are Germans or Dutchmen, and the other two
hafbreeds. MILO is half Spanish and half Indian,
and Jackson half Spanish and half negro. The
white men appear respectable as any company of
foremost hands that may be met with on board of
any vessel"
l The Commercial gives some documents about the
Spitfre, as well as about the of carrying
the slave trade for which we have this eve
ming
i MR.. GREENHOW'S VOLUME.