Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1846-03-31
OFFICIAL.
United States .ShiD Yorktorn.
49,. \ e., d.. II

OFFICIAL.
United States Sap Yorktown.
KabinIa, (Africa,) Dec. I6, ISIS.
Sir: have the honor to inform you that adj
dressed lct.or TO you on the Both ultlmo, wing
an account of tho capture of tho American barque
pons, of Philadel phia, with eight hundred and
ninety-six slaves on board, duplicate of which |
now enclose. | was so anxious to despatch tho
vessel in tho shortest tmo for Liberia, in order TO
land the slaves, and relieve them from their mis-
orabc confinement that II was not IN my power
to give you more particular account of this ves-
sci. will now endeavor to do so, and also state
some facts which have since como to my knowl-
edge.
The Pons. under the command of James Berry.
was at anchor at kabinda for about twenty DAYS
before she took! on board the slaves, during which
time she was closely watched by her Britannia
Maios,ys brig Cygnot, Commander Layton. AT
about nino o'clock on the morning of tho 29th
November the Cygnet got under way and stood
to son. Immediately Berry gave up tho ship 10
GalIano, who commenced getting on board the
water, provisions, and slaves and so expeditions
were they IN their movements, that al eight o.
clock that evening the vessel was under weigh,
having embarked nine hundred and three slaves.
Instead of standing directly to sea, she kept in
with the coast during night. AT daylight they
were off kacongo, about twenty-five miles to tho
north of Ia bnda, when they discovered the Cyg-
nc, in the ofling. They Immediately fured all
their sails, and dritcd tho shore, that tho
negroes lined the beach, in hope Of a shipwreck.
They continued in this situation until meridian,
when finding they had not been discovered, they
set their lower sails in order to clear the shore
and as the Cygnc, drew off from the land, they
afterward set their moro lofty ones. Two days
afterwards captured her. Her crew consisted
Of Spaniards, Portuguese. Brazllians, and some
from other countries. and although continun. pa
pers, not ono American was on board.
As could not despatch her the evening Of her
capture, shc kept company with us that night
The next morning | regretted to loarn that egh
teen had died and one jumped over board. So
many dying in so short time, was accounted for
by the plain in the necessity he had of thrust
ing below all who deck and closing tn g
matches when he first fell in with US in order TO
cscap pc detection.
The vessel has no slave deck, and upwards of
eight hundred and fifty were piled, almost in bulk
on the water casks below; these were males; about
forty or fifty females confined in half
of the round house cabin on dock: tho other half
of the cabin remaining for the use Of tho officers.
As tho ship appeared to be less than three hun
dred and fifty tons, II seemed impossible that ono
half could llavo lived to cross the Atlantic
About two hundred filled up the spar-deck alone,
when they were permitted to como up from be-
low, and yet the captain assured me that it
his intention to have taken four hundred more on
board if he could have spared tho time.
The stencil from below wa so great that it
was impossible to stand more than few moments
near tho hatchways. Our men who went below
from curiosity, were forced up sick in few min
utes: then all the matches were off. What must
have been the sutferings of these poor wresches
when the matches were closed! | am informed
that very often in these cases. the stronger will
strangle the weaker; and this probably tn"
reason why so many died, or rather were found
dead, the morning after the capture.-None but
an eyewitness can form conception Of the hor-
rors these poor creatures must endure in their
transit across the ocean.
| regret 10 say that most Of this misery is pro-
duced by our own countrymen; they furnish the
means Of conveyance in spite Of existing enact
ments; and although there are strong clrcums:an
ces agains. Berry, the late master of the "Pons,"
sufficient to induce me to detain him, if should
meet with him, yet fear neither he nor his
ployers can be reached by our present laws. He
will no doubt make il appear that the "Pons' was
bey ond his control when the slaves were brought
on board. Y ct, from the testimony Of the
who came over from Rio as passengers, there is
no doubt the whole affair was arranged at Rio
between Berry and Gallana before the ship sailed.
These men state that the first place they anchored
was at Onin, near the river Lagos, in the Blight Of
Benin; here they discharged portion of their
cargo and received on board number Of hogs
heads or pipes filled with water. These were
slowed the ground tier, and a tier Of casks con-
aiming spirits were placed over them They