New-York daily tribune., 1858-09-07
ARRIVAL OF THE UNITED STATES
gRfG DOLPHIN.
yrom on sys al Reporter

wv" W. ou.EasrISE, Sept. 60 ~. n.
r1,a I-raed States big Dolphin arrived i"s' mgh
and ,rc,rores in the bay IF this point lnmedia'ey
,,cc,eded 10 her and had an interview WIN '"il-
,narde, = n nafiitt. / learned from Inn That the
DolpLin has been tea days coming nom hey "e't'
hayrtc.xperienced succession oi gH'os ana ca"i'.
She cs,re 10 tis gort -upposng that l"en' bradford
Of t,a Dolphin ss.th the prize crew e the slave prg
Echo captured by the Dolphin, wss awaiting her az
rival in accordance with orders The order however,
had been cou1termanded 10y Mr.. lee Of the Navy,
VITO ordoIol the crew 70 proceed to Boston.
Tie DoTbin had on board Capt. Townsend, the
comm and~- OF the Echo, a. prisoner lie VIII De
kep, In c custody Of the frgate Sabine TO await The
requsiton Of Mr. Hamilton the United States Marshal
of South Carolina who has the Echo IN cnst0dy ior
sdyudicaton, and the Dolphin will proceed tomorrow
10 Boston 20 be fitted il said for TIE expedition to
Paraguay.
Cant. Townsend i n native Of Rhode Island, and
hss wife and three children residing IN Providence
He about % years Of age, and man Of superior ad-
dress and education He s tail aud wei formed and
has prepossessing features. He has iight mar large
sandy whiskers and is scrupulousy exact IN h dress
Tie speaks freely upon the affairs OF the voyage OF me
Echo, and states that he wGs driven 10 engage
IN the slave-,rade because Of ii SUCCESS ID hs
VOYAGES in legitimate commerce. Aiter the Echo
left New-Orleans, he states that ne caieu
the crew aft and said to them that he plrp"ee1
to 20 into slave-trade and promised them SVV each
IL they would continue on the voyage Inc p"rtu'
yuese and Spaniards were probably aware OF the ma
ture Of the voyage before II was projected. All the
crew acceded to the proposition. Instead Of proceed
ing 10 ST. Thomas for which port she had shipped the
Echo shaped her course iorhc Coast OF Africa. When
sbe reached Congo River she landed two Spaniards,
the slave agents, who went to look after the cargo
and the Echo proceeded to an island on the coast for
water and fresh provisions. They were chased from
the island by French brig-oiwar, from which they
escaped in fog.
Returning thence to the coast, they took 40 slaves
on board 100 of whom died the passage. Captain
Townsend then gave up the command of the vessel 70
Q Spaniard, and shipped passenger Oh the brig.
This the frequent in the slave-trade to avodhe
responsibility in Of capture The Spanish captain
having calculated his reckoning incorrectly, the brig
ran ashore in the night at Abaco, in the Bahama
Islands Floating off al high water she proceeded on
her voyage and al daylight passed Sagua la Grande,
when she discovered the Dolphin making toward her
under British colors. She suppOsed the Dolphin to
be a Spanish brig which had hoisted British
coors for ruse, not supposing that there was any
American vessel of war cruising among tine West In
dies or if there was, that any American vessel would
take sufficient interest in tine matter to interfere When
it became evident that the Dolphin gaining on her,
the crew of the SLAYER knocked out the hedges from
her masts and sawed down and east overheard hey
bulwarks, to increase her speed. At the same time
the liquor-closets opened and the excitement
az the chase was heightened by the general
intoxication of the crew. No less exciting was tine
scene Oh board of the Dolphin though the artificial
stimuli were not rcsortod to there. The D9lphins
men were confident oi a capture ana this confidence
was increased when il became evident that they were
rapidly gaining on the SLAYER Already the negroes
were observed the deck of the Echc. Alter
chase of nearly nine hours the Dolphin fired ~o blank
cartridges at the Echo to make her snow her coors
This was not regarded, and Capt. Maiit ordered
shot to be fired, which passed few feet from her
stern. The Echo then ran mp American coors,
and the Dolphin Immediately haued down
the British flag and ran up the stars
and stripes The next shot fired passed
between the masts of the SLAYER and seeing that she
wa entirely at the mercy of the Dolphin, the Echo
then hauled down the American colors. Capt. Mafft
dispatched Lieut.. Bradford, two other officers, and
sixteen men aboard the SLAYER who took possession OF
her Capt. Maili, himself subsequently visited the
Echo. lie states that although presenting sad
rpectacle the condition of the Echo and the slaves
was much better than that of most slavers aud
rargoes. Capt. Townsend states that they had been
allowed extra ratons 10 improve their appearance and
enhance their value in market. They the cap
lives of warke tribes brought to the Coast and placed
in banacoons While awaiting the arrival o! the slave
ship they fed and escucu,s and scautiy
fed at that and their close confinement was terrible
On the Echo Capt Townsend states they were fed on
rce, beans, svers Of pork and quart oi water and
a small quantity Of whisky each day. Tobacco was
ako given them and they were exceedingly fond of IT.
Capt. Townsend is at no loss to find excuse for his
act He states that the slave-trade is humanity 10
The prisoners taken by the warike tribes in Africa;
that before they not sold TO the traders they
put death in cold blood and that the captive in
the Echo would prefer life in plantation To the suf
fcrings they endured at the hands their enemies in
the baracoons He says that the horrors the slave
trade depicted 10y writers based upon the mag
nation, and are only true as regard the
trade carried on by the Spanish and Portuguese
Capt Townsend is connected with honorable
family in Rhode Island. lie distinguished himself in
the war with Campeachy for his determination and
bravery. His last explo, will bring disgrace upon an
honorable name and tarnish the user of his previous
achievements lie is somewhat detected and nean-
choly, but is confident of escaping the extreme penalty
of hls crime by the verdict of South Carolina jury.
He expresses his qualification at being captured 10y
American vessel of war, and is grateful to Lieut..
Matt for the kind treatment lie has received at his
hands while prisoner. He has not a, any time been
placed in irons, but has been confined below decks
guarded by sentry.
The Dolphin presents the appearance of having
passed through hard service. This being the first
cargo Of slaves recaptured by American vessel
and brought to an American port the position of the