The Democratic pioneer. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1845-1853, 1847-06-11
Seizure of Ba.que sarah & Esther.

The following is letter from Rio Js-
nero. received at the Merchants Ex-
change News Room, from Captain Grifi
ing, late master of the whaling barque
Sarah IL Esther, of Greenport, Long Is
land, giving detailed account of the sei-
zare of that vessel, while taking in sup
plies IN port on the coast, in conformity
with custom practised by our whaling
ships, and sanctioned by the Brazilian
government for many years. Boston
Journal,
Rio JANEIRo, April 20, lS47'
have thought 1t advisable TO furnish
Captain Treadwell. of the barque Lucia
Maria, who is now about to leave here
for Boston, with a concise account of the
seizure OF the whaling barque Sarah &
4 Esther, lately under my command; and
do this to correct any mis- statement OF
this affair, which may get into the public
prints previous to his arrival there.
On the Goth of March, having bad leak
10 the ships bows, which wished to stop,
and being also in want of wool and wa
ter, put into lba Grand, glace much
irequented by American whalers for 6f-
teen or twenty years past. After scrap
ing and painting the ships bends, COM
menccd taking in wood aud water, but
being detained some days by heavy rains,
| had not got all ou board on the 9th of
April, when the Government cntter Mars
C, "a, from this place, came into the bay,
aud having taken possession Of my papers,
on the Sth he came on board with an arm
ed force and rdered me to get the ship
under weigh and proceed with him to this
place, which peremptorIly refused to do
' After finding that he could not prevail up
on me to do SO, and he refusing to surren-
Il der my papers, told him to take charge
. Of the ship and consider her prize, and
: myself prisoner. lie then put prize
crew on board and brought her upt this
place, informing me on the passage that
/ was seized upon suspicion Of having l
) large quantity of coffee on board, whol
pays an export duty here.
After keeping us on board under a guard
: for two days, after our arrival here, and
. making partial examination oflhe ship''
. cargo, aud becoming convinced that there
= was no dutiable articles on board, the!
10 took me oD shore to the custom house, ant
9 examined me touching the business fol
: Which vas pat in TO this coast. wa'
: here informed that | should undergo
' trial for tie disposal of about one hundred
" gallons of oil, which exchanged for my
y supplies. The vessel has been ordered tt
be discharged Of all her oil, which is now
= being taken out by themselves and stored
IL in the Government W arehouse, and this
too, prev ious to bringing us TO any tflal
" have given notice Of protest IN the Con
, the decision Of the Court, which com
meuces our trial Tomorrow.
The recruiting of our whale ships al
along this coast, where no custom house
are established, has been sanctioned b,
s this government for twenty or more year
past, but the public mind here las lately
become greatly ipfamed tow ards the Uni
! ted States Government for sanclionine
D our Minister, Mr.. Wise, and Commodore
i Rousseau, for the spirited stand they have
e taken 10 defence Of our citizens, agains
l. the petty tyranny ofth imbecile govern
ment.
The papers here aim ST daily TEEN will
: abusive paragraphs towards the Unilee
States government, and talk as if wal
with our country was now almost inevita'
BILE. but no way TO be dreaded or feared
here.
i A Briziian sloop Of war lefi here as
soon as they brought me in, to capture all
| our whalers found on this coast, al anchor.
: But Commodore Rousseau promptly or
= dered the brig cambridge, Commander
Williams on, under weigh, as rumor says
to protect our ships at all hazards.
Captain Ritcliie, Of The frigate Colun
; bia, informed me last evening, that the
Rainbrldge was not ordered any further
; down the coast than llba Grand, the Com
modore not knowing, at the time of her
sailing, that our whalers frequented the
Island of ST. Sebastian, which lies futher
! 10 the westward. Should collision take
place between these vessels Which have
left here, think our situation will be
critical here CHARLES c. GRIFFING,
Iata NJ of tho ha Sarah
S5 Esther, OF GreeDport.
COURAGE.