The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-05-20

from officer of the Truxon, giving the particulars
of the Spitfres capture,
~. s. BnIo TRuxroS,
"OFr SIERRA LEONE RIVER,
''March 20, l645
"Here we are in tow of her Britannia Majcsty's
steamer Ardent, with an American schooner our
prize and Spanish brgantne, prize to the steamer
captured IN the Rio Pongus, one hundred miles to
the northward. We had good information, when
we leit Monrovia, that there was vessel In the
Ponga, waiting a CARGO and on our arrival of the
river, finding an English man-of-war steamer, ar
engagements were made TO send a combined boat cx-
petition TO make captures for both vessels.
They proceeded about fifty miles from the anchor
age outside the bar carrying English colors all the
way. On coming in sight our little schooner ran
up the American ensign to protect herself from any
suspicion, when our own boats, after running along
side OF her, changed their ensgns and produced the
stripes and stars much to the astonishment of those
on board She proved to be the Spitfre, of New
Orleans, and ran cargo of slaves from the same
place last year-of only about 100 tons-but though
OF so small size, slowed BAG negroes, and landed
near Maanzas Cuba, 339.
Between her decks, where the slaves are packed,
there is not room enough for to sit, unless in
cniDg his head forward Their food, half pint
of rice per day, with one pint of water. No one
imagine the sufierings Of slaves their passage
across, unless the conveyances IN which they are
taken can be examined Our friend had none on board
but his cargo of 300 ready in barracoon wait
ing good opportunity to start. A good hearty ne
gro costs but twenty dollars, or thereabout, and is
purchased for rum, powder, tobacco, cloth, &c.
They bring from three to four hundred dollars in
Cuba. The English are doing everything in their
power to prevent the slave trade, and keep force of
thirty vessels on this coast, all actively cruising
This large force is to be very much increased
shortly.
"ApRIL 4tb.--Our prize is all ready, and sails for
Boston tomorrow under charge of Lieut.. Reid, with
all the necessary papers and documents to condemn
her am glad that the ice has been broken and
that we have been the ship to do it.
81 have been frequently on shore here, and re-
ceived every attention from the people, mean the
white residents. We are all well on board, in
Guiding all those who were engaged in the boat ex-
petition.
alt was expected that many would be taken
down; but good fortune has sent us here during
the hcalthiest of the year, and we have been
favored every way since arrival on the coast
We leave tomorrow also for the Cape de Verbs, and
pleasure excursion among the Canary islands, re-
turning to port Praya in fifty days from depart
ure. We are in great hopes that we have seen the
last of the coast all heartily tired of it and
anxious to go home. Our prize may hasten us, as
we believe the captain intends to defend himself"
Public attention being thus again drawn to the
slave trade, and the manner in which it is carried
on some interest may attach to various items of in
tegence which enabled TO supply having
ry 10.
The first article under the editorial head refers to
the of the schooner Enganador, which was cap
tured the close of the last year by the British
soop of war Growler, having 300 slaves on board.
When captured she had neither flag papers to
show her nationality; but was represented to be
Spanish. But II was ascertained that she had for
some years been sailing out of Sierra Leone the
Sherbro', and belonged to resident of that colony
one Daniel Cocker. This man nominally sold her
to one Thomas Caulker, by whom she was imme-
diately transferred to noted slave dealer at Seabar,
named LUZ. No doubt entertained that the
sale to Caulker was merely blind, and that Cocker
knew, when he made the sale, that LUZ was to be
the real purchaser.
Among the negroes found on board the Engana-
dor were three who had been formerly liberated
from slave vessel and taken to Sierra Leone; and
their dispositions are given, showing how they were
again reduced to slavery. From these it appears
that after living several years at Sierra Leone they
were kidnapped, within the bounds of that colony
itself, and sold to LUZ.
1t is added that the slave traders at Seabar and in
the river GaIinas had been much emboldened by the
prosecution of Capt. Denman, in England, for his
summary destruction of sundry barracoons, and
openly asserted their determination to seek redress
in the English courts if they were again moescd in
their operations
Next follows a letter from the Rev. VIM. Ray
mond, the missionary who went from this country
Mcndi mssion-house, Little Boon river, January 8,
and gives melancholy picture Of Mr. Raymond's
trials.
1t seems that Mr.. Raymond had been the bearer
Of letter from the governor of Sierra Leone to the
king of the Mendi country, by which that parsonage
was greatly angered, as well as by various hostile
demonstrations of the British against the slave
adjustments at Sea-bar; all which he imputed to the
agency of MIR. Raymond. He said that if the Eng
lish wanted to destroy the slave trade they must de-
sroy one half of Sierra Leone for half of Sierra Lee
one was engaged in it, &c.
After much talk of this kind in which the king
inveighed bitterly against the English and their at
tempts to destroy the trade, he told Mr.. Raymond
that he must 60, and finally gave him written mott
fcation that he must "clear out" before the 7th of
February.
This king bears the name of Henry Tucker, but
does not appear whether he an African with an
English name, or actually white man. Mr.. Ray
mond ascrbes his conduct to the insgation of LUZ
and other slave traders. His letter--which is adj
dressed to the superintendent of the Wesleyan mis-
sion at Sierra Leone--asks for advice as to the
course he had better pursue; whether he should 60
away or remain and trust to the aid he might receive
from the men of war, DC.
The Watchman says that Commodore Jones had
resolved to protect Mr.. Raymond and suppress the
traffic by all the means in his power that he had
burned the factory of LUZ at Sea-bar and several
other establishments at Ganas #t
There is another letter from Mr. Raymond to his
wife, but neither of them makes any mention of the
Amistad Africans.
thai, tt.b, Il, Afor, Past