The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-05-11


ton Of the intelligence then given:-
From the English papcrs
We have received the following letter respecting
the movements of her MaIesty's crulzers on the
coast of Airics Capt, Eden, of her Majesty's ship
Amplitude, proceeded under orders, in November
last, from the Bights of Benin to the Benny, to
ter into treaty with the chief king of that river
for the suppression Of the slave trade IN his terri
tory. From thence he was to proceed to the ca
maroons, and adjust some disputed question OF
trade, or rather to try to induce the chef of that
rlvcr to give up the system of making vessels pay
rlver duty second time, or as often as change OF
masters may occur from death or Otherwise. IL,
was next 10 proceed to the Island OF Corisca, and
there abolish treaty which he Captain Eden) had
previously made with the chief of the island rela-
tive to the slave trade and the proper treatment of
any British subjects who may be induced TO go
there TO trade in ebony, which staple article in
that quarter. On the 18th, Captain Eden left IN her
Halesty's steamer Firefy, for the purpose of exc
cutting these commands; the Amphitrlte corvette,
with all her boats detached, remained crulzing oil
Lagos. On the LIST of December the Anlphitrlie
by previous arrangement, got all her boats aboard
and sailed for Princes, where she fell in with the
FREELY, and Capt. Eden rejoincd, having executed
his mission to the letter.
The Benny treaty is suggestion Of Commodore
Sir Charles Hothams, but You will be surprised to
hear that there is neither any trade, disposition
to trade, In slaves in the Benny; that the entire po-
pulaton are very fully and lucratively emploYyed IN
the collection Of palm oil; and further, that his sa-
BILE majesty, one of the high and mighty contract
ing parties, could not get one single slave for ex-
portatlon sixty miles around him, if he wished.
This is fact which any Benny trader could sub
stantlate.
The Camaroon business was arranged pro forna,
agreeably with the wishes of the Liverpool mer-
chants, from whom the request to interfere ema-
mated and Captain Edenw while in the river, endea-
vored to make some effort to put an end to the
practice OF human sacrifice which still exists there
but without effect.
shall now proceed to give you few particulars
prove how utterly in the dark!you all are in Englad
upon many points relative to the slave trade. 1t
effort made on the part of the colonial office
to induce the powerful chief of Dahomey to put
the I'd of November, Mr.. Cruickshank, Cape
Coast merchant, was commissioned by Cover
nor Wmnyett to proceed to Dahomey; he took pas
cage in the English brig Zante, to Whydah disem-
Dahomey, taking with him as dash Gl5O worth
of goods, purchased from the Zante but be-
fore he could possibly leave Whydah for Da-
honey, saye dealer starts for Dahomey with
Zante, thus Ontdoing our ambassador by double
the amount in the shape ofpresents. Cruickshank,
however, reaches Dahomey in good time, is we'll
reports to be very princely fellow, and enters at
once upon the subject OF his mission, which was
the offer Of 1000 dollars per annum to abolish the
trade in slaves throughout his dominions.. His
Majesty listened attentively to all Cruickshank had
to say, received the portrait of our Queen with
every appearance pleasure, and AFTER in his turn
expressing to Cruickshank the necessities of his
state the nature of his obligation to the multitude
of chief men, and his absolute inability to raise the
necessary amount of funds by any other than the
slave trade, he declined giving decisive answer
In fact he was not prepared to give up, for 1000
dollars per annum s.a traffic which nsures him an
glish, he prefers holding his 100000 rather than
surrender it for trifing G4OO year, which
Cruickshank was authorized to offer hlm. Cruick-
~I.c all Cu~a
remained at Dahomey, and not only protected, but
courteously treated on his way there and back and
treated to a review of his Maesty's regiments of
women. The country is, to all appearance, well
mean capacity or intelligence. His custom house
regulations and police generally are in excellent
training, and altogether Cruickshank's VISIT from
his description, mus! have been very agreeable
one, but the object of he views, and truly, as i'm
practicable in this quarter. Three little black girls
were the return present to Cruickshank, who has
taken steps for their transmission to Cape Coast
C. sssf en ney % be Re1s fs
the age of humbng; 5000 slaves are annually
shipped from Whydah alone, not 100 of whom are
captured. So much for the success of our squa-
dron.
All the cruzers in the Bights of Benin were d.
rccted to assemble at Princes by the LIST of Janua-
ry, for inspection by the commodore before his de-
parture from the station. A Jolly fine season the
savers will have had of it while they are all thus
absent from the cruizing ground The commo-
dore, it would appear, funks the Bghts. He will
do his utmost to make the station appear healthy
in the eyes of you at home, while he appears to
dread visiting the northern part of the coast, except
in the very fine season, and then but fer very
brief period, and he avoids the Bights IN toto
This is worth chronicling, particularly as aver
that every effort is made to represent the station as
most illus one In this he is assisted manful-
ly by the surgeons off certain establishment ashore
and ship a1oat, who oftentimes forgetful of their
professional reputation, and the interests of those
committed to their care, toady to the full extent of
their tether; men are discharged from the hospital
uncured; they may return to it again, and again
they may be discharged from il as before; and thus
invalidings made fewer. This looks well on pa
per at home, but unha4Ppily the men may be sacri-
Another mode. of proceeding is to send home
confirmed epeptics as part complement of vesselS
returning to England, and to report the deaths as
having taken place from any other cause than fe-
YER, as in the instance of the late Commander Lc-
vinge, who, it was said, died of Influenza
With regard to the island of Ascension, SO far
from its being station of sanitary resort, it is per-
fectly useless for that end The island has been
overstocked, and there is now scarcely any grass
to be seen. The island is in dissension still.
The English in Indio.-Thc Effect of the
Battle Of GOojerat.
- From the London Times, Apri! lS. 1912
The overland mail like story published in parts,
often brings, IN addition to more authentic and less
interesting matters, just stray rumor, letter, or
a Geographic despatch, of a nature to excite the
most intense anxiety for the next arrival. 1t was
80 last mail. Almost buried in its more bulky con-
tents was small slip of paper, entitled the Extra"
of the Bombay Times, and containing the agree
able announcement of real victory over the Sikhs
and a total rout of their army. We have now the
pleasure Of congauating our readers on the COM
plete confirmation of this unaccountable dribbet
of news. The Sikh army has been dispersed,
without any extraordinary loss on our part, but
captured, including some of our own lost at Chill
lianwallah, and many bearing marks of having been
spiked on that occasion. The campaign has thus
been brought to successful termination. The
battle of Goojerat, on the 2lst of February, if 1t
have not entirely retrieved the generalship of Lord
Cough, has at least avenged the disasters of RAM
mander-in-chief will retire in his glory, and Sir
Charles Napier will find, ON his arrival, that he has
leisure to introduce his reforms before the army
shall again be summoned to the field.
On the principle that all is well that ends well,
we ought not perhaps to inquire too curiously into
the various causes which concentrated in such