Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-03-21
THE CAPTURED SLAVE SHIPS.

THE CAPTURED SLAVE SHIPS.
We have already laid before our readers the har-
rowing account Of the slaveship Pons, captured on
the coast Of Africa by the sloop-of-war EorktoWn,
Captain BELL. The letter Of Dr. LUoENBEEL and
the extracts from the circular Of the Methodist Mis-
sion in Liberia, which we inserted in Fridays pa
per, furnished the particulars Of the capture and Of
the dreadful condition Of the poor wretches found
crammed beneath the decks Of the slave vessel but
il is due to Captain BELL to give also his official
account of the capture which we accordingly insert
below. II presents the most shocking case of out
ragged humanity which has ever appeared in our
columns The vessel employed in this execrable
transaction went, it appears, originally from Phia-
delphia. According to the United States Gazette
she was sold at Rio de Janerio as trader, by her
owners, and all interest in her on. the part Of
citizens Of Philadelphia ceased some time since.
She arrived at Philadelphia on Friday, in charge
Of Lieut.. CoGDELL, of the Yorktown, and prize
crew of ten men. She brought in four prisoners,
Portuguese, who were found on board at the time
Of her capture. 1t is devoutly to be hoped that
having been engaged, whether directly or indirectly,
in the inhuman affair, may be made to suffer the
extreme penalty Of the law.
Il is remarkable that within the same week three
vessels should have arrived in our ports as prizes
the American squadron for having been engaged in
the save-trade-viz the Pons, above mentioned,
captured by the Yorkfos0n the Panther, prize of
the same vessel, which arrived at Charleston on
Monday; and the Robert WILSON, prize to the
sloop-ofwar Jamestown, which reached Charleston
on Thursday.
7 Wecongratulate the officers Of our Navy, engaged
on the coast in the perilous against these
mics Of the human race, that their vigilant efforts
have been rewarded with SO much success. They
will receive the thanks Of the whole country.
Letter from Capt BeAto the Secretary Of the Nary.
UNITED STATES SHIP YoRxrowx,
KABIsDA, (Afica,) DEC. 10, 1916.
Sir: have the honor inform you that addressed let
you the 3Oth ulimo giving of the cap
Of the American barque Pons of Philadelphia, with
eight hundred and nnetysx slaves board duplicate of
which now enclose. was SO anxious to dispatch the yes
sci in the shortest time for LIBERIA order to land the slaves
and relieve them from their miserable confinement that
vessel will endeavo do So and also state facts
which have since come to my knowledge.
The Pons under the command Of James Berry,
Choir Kabnda for about twenty days before she took board
the saves during which she closely watched by her
Britannia Majesys brig Cygnet Commander Layton Al
about nins o'clock ON the morning OF the 9Th Novemes the
Cygnet got under way and stood to Immediately Berry
gave up the ship Gaano who commenced getting board
the WATER provisions, and slaves and expeditions
they in their movemen that at eight o'clock that evening the
-. -l-~I-
three slaves Instead Of standing directly sea- she kept
with the during the night AT daylight they were OF
Kacongo about twenty-five miles to the north Of kabnda
when they discovered the Cygnet in the oing They imme
dstey fued all their Sails and ded the shore that
the negroes lined the beach in hope of shpwreck They
continued in this situation until meridian when, finding they
had been discovered they set their lower sails in order TO
clear the Shore and the Cygnet drew of from the land
they afterwards their lofty Two days afterwards
captured her. Her consisted Of Spaniards Pou
guese Brazilans and from other countries and, al
though continuing under the American flag, with probably
American papers; not American on board
As could dispatch her the evening OF her captures she
kept company with that night The next morning
GREETED to that eighteen had died and jumped
by the captain the necessity he had Of thsng below all
who deck and closing the matches, when ne first fell
in with US, in order to escape detection.
The vessel has savedeck and upwards Of eight hum
ded and ffy Piled almost in bulk the casks
below. These were males. About forty fifty females
confined in half of the roundhouse cabin deck the
other half of the cabin remaining for the Of the officers
AS the ship appeared to be less than three hundred and
TONS seemed impossible that onehaf could have lived to
cross the Atlantic About hundred filed up the spareck
Alone when they permitted up from below and
yet the captain assured that hs intention to have
ken four hundred board If he could have spared the
time.
The stencil from below great that il impossible
stand than few moments the hatchways Our
who below from curiosity, forced up sick in
few minutes then all the matches Off What must
have been the suengs of these poor wetches when the
matches were closed am informed that very often in these
cases. the stronger will srangle the weaker and this
probably the why many died. rather found
Dead the morning aer the capture None but eye wit
ness can conception Of the horrors these poor creatures
must endure in their transit across the ocean.
regret say that most Of this misery is produced by
counymen they furnish the Of conveyance in
spite Of existing ensctments and although thore strong
circumstances against Berry, the late master Of the Pons
sufficient to induce detau him, II should meet with
him. yet fear neither he his employers be reached
by our present laws He viii doubt make il appear that
the Pons" beyond his control when the slaves were
brought on board Yet from the testimony Of the who
from Rio passengers there is doubt the whole
affair was arranged Rio between Berry and Galano before
the ship sailed These that the first place they anchor
cd was Onn the river Lagos in the Blight Of Benin
here they discharged portion Of their cargo, and received on
board number Of hogsheads pipes filled uifh icdfer
These slowed the ground tier and tier OF casks
containing spirits placed them They Uere then
informed that the vessel going TO kabinda for load 81
si6ss 8al4t#t
On their arrival the latter place, the spirit was kept on
hoard until few DAVIS before Berry the command,