The Warrington Examiner. — 1875-03-13 (Warrington, Cheshire, England)

PIRACY ON THE GOLD COAST. LETTER FROM A BOWDON MAN.  Mr. Dc Lamoy, of Bowdon, at present trading on the Brass River, West Coast of Africa, writing to Mr. W. H. Hadfield, of Bowe lon, gives the following interesting account of an act of piracy perpetrated on the West Coast. As will be seen from the letter our correspondent was one of the Europeans who tried to save the vessel in question :—" On Sunday, the 20th December, the European's trading in Brass River heard that a ship was wrecked on the Bar, six of them (our correspondent being one) left in their boats for the scene of the disaster, and on arrival found a fine brig in the breakers., abandoned by her captain and crew, and the natives in great force plundering her. After a hurried consultation, as there was no time to be lost, it was agreed by the whites to make an effort to get her off and obtain salvage for her and cargo. This, although a work of danger and great difficulty, the natives having stolen her running gear, halyards, &c., was safely accomplished, and the vessel safely anchored in deep water. Having a captain and mate in their number, they were put in charge with a crew of eight kroomen—tho natives leaving in their canoes in great haste on finding the vessel moving out—a cook and steward, the others pulled back to the settlement to obtain provisions, intending to go to the ship on receiving them to proceed to Bonny to hand her over to Her Majesty's Consul there, but on the boat reaching the vessel again it was found that the natives, headed by the King in person, had by means of the native pilot—who said he was sent out to pilot the vessel in— got on board and at a given signal seized and lashed up those who were in charge; and when as many as two or three hundred had arrived they unbound those in charge bat kept them prisoners to work the ship, which was eventually towed in by a steamer, the King saying he would give them a third of the ship and cargo. They have now released the captain and crew, and the brig they have towed far up the river out of sieht to plunder at their leisure. Now this vessel was sailing on the high seas at the time of being seized and the natives should be taught the difference between a total wreck, and touching on their strand, yet there is a European who did not run the risk of going out to her and who consequently could not expect to participate in any benefit arising from salvage to whom they have been for advice frequently, and who asserts that they have done right and he has advanced to the natives the bill which paid the captain of the steamer for towing her in. Our correspondent adds that he thinks it right that the underwriters should hear of this, that they may know at what risk they insure —namely, that a vessel once touching a bar her being afterwards saved is of no acecount—as in this instance a fine vessel with a valuable cargo was got off safely and then taken by as plain an act of piracy as was ever committed. If these things are not noticed, or winked at, they will soon murder crews instead of tying them up. The vessel in question was the brig Berthe " of Nantes, Captain Bad elle, from Liverpool to Brass."