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rouched so as to be a perfect quit claim from him and his heirs for ever. The next thing I have to recommend to you, is to conduct this business with every possible caution and secrecy, and to prevent as much as possible the knowledge of it to reach either our consul or ambassador, as they might perhaps write home on the subject, and even any of the American captains who may happen to be there at the same time with you. You must therefore appear very cool and indifferent in the business, to let nothing transpire of your future plan, and act as if you were only thinking of returning home. After you have made your brig a Portuguese, you will have to take in a cargo fit for the coast, and proceed there with every possible dispatch. I enclose you a memorandum of the articles which I think will answer best for the trade, to which memorandum I have added a few observations to regulate you for the articles that you could not find, and which might be replaced by others. To this list, however, I do not wish by any means to confine you; I leave it, on the contrary, to you to improve it or curtail it, according to the information which you will be able to collect, as that trade is much followed at Bahia. Negroes are often very plenty there; and if they can be bought from eighty dollars to one hundred dollars, I would just as well end the voyage there, and give up the trip to Africa. The difference in the price would, in my opinion, be more than compensated by the time and the risk saved thereby. As the cargo you have now on board will not be sufficient to complete the operation, I request Messrs. Sealy, Roach, and Toole to advance you what will be necessary, for which they will take your bills on me here; or, if more convenient, you can draw, on my account, on Mr. L. Clapier, at Philadelphia; Mr. Michael Hogan, at New York; or Messrs. Thos. C. Amory and Co., Boston; whom I will advise to the purpose, and who will honour your drafts. As it might happen that the negotiation of bills on America would meet with some difficulty, and in order to remove any obstacle, I have opened a credit for you with Messrs. Dixon, Lavater, and Co., of Liverpool, to the amount of 4000l. stg. (say four thousand pounds sterling); which credit is confirmed by the enclosed letter addressed to you by Mr. J. W. Hemmerich, an agent and partner of said house, who is now here. I must, however, observe to you, that it is not my wish you should make use of this credit on England, but in case your bills on the United States could not answer. I write accordingly to Messrs. Scaly, Roach, and Toole; and I hope they will in this, as in any thing else, consult what will be best for my interest.

"If there is any possibility, the vessel and cargo, for the return, shall be insured at Bahia. As such are my instructions to Sealy, Roach, and Co., I shall thank you to attend to it, and ascertain, before you go, whether this insurance can be done or not, and to write me accordingly, that I may know how matters stand; and if there is no insurance done, I may provide for it here myself.

"It now remains for me to direct how you are to do with your people after you have sold the brig. The very first thing is to discharge all the people, paying their wages, and making the best terms possible with them in writing; as by the laws of the country the owner is obliged to find them a passage home and wages till they arrive. It is very essential that none of your people, except those who are to stay with you, should have the least suspicion of your future plan: I would recommend, therefore, that before you enter on any of your transactions, you would see these people out of the country, that they cannot come and talk here of what you have done. I would rather lose some little time, nor would I mind soine little expense, to get rid of them cleverly. The ship's log-book should afterwards be kept in Portuguese; no English writing, touching the voyage, should be on board: the fewer entries in the log-book the better, to be done under your eyes. She should have no colours but Portuguese on

board; your present flag thrown away when the brig is sold, and all the papers sent back (under cover) to me: your register, however, you had better bring back yourself. Wishing you a prosperous voyage,

"I an, dear sir, Your most obedient servant,

(Signed)

"FRANCIS DEPAU."

Free Town, Sierra Leone,

The Declaration of Ned Brown (a slave from on board the brig Amelia, seized by the brig Kitty, of Liverpool, J. Roach, muster), made before Alexander Smith, Esq. Judge of the Court of Vice-Admiralty at Sierra Leone, the thirteenth day of June, in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eleven.

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"Declares he is a native of Cabenda, and was put on board the brig Amelia, as a slave, by prince Conzee, his father. It is the fashion (custom) of his country for a man, when in want of money, &c. if he has three or four children, to sell one or more sf them, and keep the others, His father sold him and his sister together; his sister is now here. When he went on board the brig, he found a man, named Jack Watts, a slave of the captain's, who had come from Charleston in the brig. Heard that Watts, when in America, had stoleu some articles, for which his master had to pay. His master had given him a very severe flogging for this; and also flogged him several times, when at Cabenda, for drunkenness and fighting. Watts took off his clothes, and shewed the slaves his back, saying, See how my master has flogged me: when he has taken you to white man's country, he will flog you the same.' When at Cabenda, Watts went to a trader there, a head-man in the country, named Mafugu Frank, and told him he wanted to run away; Magutu Frank told him not to run away then, as he (Magufu Frank) would catch palaver*, but gave him two fetishest, saying, When you go out on the big water, shew these fetishes to the slaves; make them rise and bring the vessel back to me, when we will divide the slaves between us: these fetishes will help you to take the brig.' Every morning, before breakfast, Watts was to spit upou one of the fetishes, which was hung upon his right arm below his armpit, while fasting: he constantly did this. When the brig got to sea, Watts urged the slaves to rise. They asked him how they were to take the brig, as they had no guns, nor any thing to defend themselves with? He said, Never mind: there is plenty of wood down below: you can take that.' The slaves then said, Call Ned, (the declarant) and let him and you talk this palaver: he said, 'No, no; if you tell Ned, he will tell his master, and I shall catch trouble enough; the captain is very fond of Ned, and Ned will be sure to tell him †.'

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"They had been at sea till past moon half, when one morning (21st January, according to log-book), as the birds first began to speak (cock-crow), a noise was heard forward. The captain called upon me on hearing the noise, and asked what was the matter? I said I did not know. The captain then went upon deck, with the mate and the rest of the people: they had only three muskets, and a pair of pistols belonging to the captain. It was rather dark, and the slaves kept crying out, Jack, Jack! The captain then spoke to the mate, and told him to keep an eye upon Jack, and shoot him. The slaves then came to the barricado with large pieces of wood; and Jack Watts attempted to break the barricado with a large hammer.

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*Catch palaver,' i. e. 'have to answer for him.'

+ Amulets, charms, &c. in which the natives of Africa place great confidence.

A man named Jem, who was forward when this conversation took place, was present in court, and confirmed every thing which Ned stated respecting what happened on the insurrection being first proposed.

The mate saw him, and shot him through the jaw: the ball cut away his tongue; and when he fell down, he seized held of the cable with his teeth, and died in that posture. I was told that Jack Watts opened the hatches, and let the slaves upon deck: they were not in irons, having been let out some days before. The captain soon after went down below, and ordered the boat to be lowered down from the stern; which was done. None of the sailors were killed: nine of them, and the captain, went into the boat; and I opened the cabin windows, and handed them two baskets of bread, a piece of ham, nine bottles of porter, nine bottles of wine, and two jars of water. I wanted to go with him, but the captain would not let me, saying, You are a black man; the slaves will not kill you; and you see I have a small boat and too many people in her.' They then hoisted two sails in the boat, and went away. Three of the Portuguese sailors ran into the women's room; and the boatswain, a mulatto inan, ran up to the top of the mast. When the boat was gone, the slaves found them and wanted to kill them; when I advised them not to do so; for if you kill them, where you take vessel? you no know for make sail.' They then consented to spare their lives, on condition of their taking care of the vessel. A great number of the slaves were killed, about three tallies (thirty), before the captain ran away. They were four moons upon the big water before they came to Cape Mount: for the greatest part of the time they had nothing to cat but a very little farina (i. e. cassada dried and ground to flour), and water to drink. A very great number of the slaves (principally boys and girls) died for hunger. When they came to land, they sent every thing they had on board, even their knives, for rice, and only received one krew* of rice, and a small basket of cassada. When they arrived at Cape Mount, the king's son came on board, and asked me, Billy, William, and Jack, to go on shore for water: when we reached the shore, we were seized and put in irons. Myself and Billy were taken by Mr. Thomas, an Englishman living there, and put in irons, with a little girl, who had been sold by the boatswain of the brig for a bull. William and Jack were seized by the king's son. The king's son and Mr. Thomas wanted to seize the brig, but were afraid of the slaves. I was not on board when Captain Roach took the vessel; but when he went on board the brig, they told him a man was on shore who could speak English. Captain Roach sent on shore, and had me taken on board by Thomas. When I asked Captain Roach why the other three men were not sent on board, and what would become of them and the girl. Captain Roach said, 'Never mind: you will see them by and by. The girl that the boatswain sent on shore for a bull was never sent on board again, nor any bull either. Captain Roach told me, he had sent twenty-four slaves on shore, who, with the three men and one girl, make twenty-eight, now left on shore in the whole. I was kept on board Captain Roach's vessel, and was brought to Sierra Leone in her; and heard five slaves had died in the passage from Cape Mount to Sierra Leone.

(Signed) "NED BROWN, his mark." "Declared before me, day and date above written,

(Signed) “A. SMITH, Judge V.-A. Court.” NOTE-With regard to the degree of credit due to the above declaration, it appears that Ned was on the most friendly terms with the captain: he speaks English sufficiently to be understood; and no alteration has been made as to the true meaning of his evidence. Jack Watts ought to have been, Jack White, according to the articles: Ned's mode of pronunciation led to this error.

* Nearly half a bushel.

Freetown, Sierra Leone. The Deposition of John Roach, Master of the brig Kitty, of Liverpool. "On the 27th day of May, in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eleven, personally appeared before me, Alexander Smith, esq. Judge of the Vice-court of Admiralty, in the colony of Sierra Leone, John Roach, master of the brig Kitty, who, being duly sworn upon the Holy Evangelists, deposeth and saith as follows :— That on the sixteenth day of May, at six P. M. he brought the brig Kitty to anchor at Cape Mount, where he found one brig (at anchor), which on the following morning attempted to get under weigh about six o'clock, and hoisted Portuguese colours. The deponent then sent a boat for the purpose of boarding ber; but was prevented, by her threatening to fire if she went near her. The boat then returned, and about eleven o'clock on the same day was manned and armed, and effected the boarding of her, and brought from her one of the former crew, with all the papers that could be found. The deponent also states, That from a perusal of the same, together with a journal belonging to the said brig, he discovered she was an American, fitted out from Bahia to the coast of Angola, for the procuring a cargo of slaves; and that she sailed from Cabenda on the first day of January last past, bound to the Havannah in the island of Cuba; and that on the twentieth day of January, in the latitude of one degree and thirty two minutes north, longitude twenty-four degrees and twenty-one minutes west, the slaves rose and took possession of the said brig, and forced the captain and the greater part of the crew to take to the boat and leave her; keeping, at the same time, the boatswain and three others, to navigate her; which they did from the above twentieth day of January to the fourteenth day of May following, on which day she arrived at Cape Mount. The depouent also states, that as soon as he had taken possession of the said brig, he found the greater part of the slaves had perished for hunger, having at that time no provision whatever on board; and from inquiry of the boatswain, he was informed, that at the time of their leaving Cabenda there were two hundred and seventy-five slaves on board the said brig (us neur as his memory will serve him); but at that time there were many missing, thirty having been killed by the captain and crew prior to their leaving the vessel, exclusive of what had afterwards died through hunger; and that at the time of his boat going on board the said brig at Cape Mount, two of the slaves jumped overboard, one of which was drowned. Nothing further took place on that day; he having put two men on board for the night. On the following seventeenth day of May, at one P. M., the deponent sent the mate and six of his own crew to examine the said brig; when they found two of the slaves dead, and nine others so weak that he felt it his duty to send them on shore, which was accordingly done at Cape Mount: he then sent a quantity of his own goods on shore to purchase provisions for them; but not receiving any for two days, he was necessi tated to send some from his own vessel for their present maintenance. There were also on the same day nine others sent on shore at Cape Mount, to a Mr. Thomas, which he conceived inevitably must have died, had they remained on board. And that on the eighteenth day of May his people were employed in getting some of his own sails and water-casks on board the said brig, there being only one half-puncheon of water on board when he found her. The deponent further states, that on the second over-haul of her papers, he found the said brig cleared out from Philadelphia in May 1810, and was then called the Agent: she was afterwards sold at Babia; called the Amelia, and sailed under Portuguese colours; but when he took possession of her, the remaining part of the crew that were on board told

him her name was the Billy. On the nineteenth day of May one more of the slaves died, and six others were sent on shore without the least probability of their recovery. On the 20th day of May, the crew of the deponent's brig had got the said brig ready for sea, and on that day got under weigh for Sierra Leone, in company with his own vessel; where he arrived on the 23d day of May following; when he was boarded by a boat from his majesty's brig Tigress, about three miles distant from Cape Sierra Leone : and that he afterwards, about eleven o'clock on the same evening, received a note from his mate, saying that he had, in consequence of contrary winds, anchored off Cockle-Bay, and that an officer from his majesty's brig Tigress had been sent on board to take possession of the said brig. The mate still remained on board, and in the morning got under weigh, and brought her into the harbour of Sierra Leone, when on the following morning eighty-five slaves were landed from the said brig*.

(Signed) "J. ROACH." "Sworn before me, this twenty-ninth day of May, 1811. (Signed) "A. SMITH, Judge V.-A. Court."

Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The Deposition of Stephen Olive Pack, first Mate of the brig Kitty of

Liverpool.

"On the twenty-seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eleven, personally appeared before me, Alexander Smith, esq. Judge of the Vice-court of Admiralty in the colony of Sierra Leone, Stephen Olive Pack, mate of the brig Kitty, who, being duly sworn upon the Holy Evangelists, deposeth as follows: That on the sixteenth day of May, on their passage to leeward, they came to anchor at Cape Mount, about six P. M., when they found a brig likewise at anchor. On the following morning he received orders to board her, but was told by the people on board, if he came near they would sink him; he then returned to his own vessel, and went again about eleven o'clock on the same day, with the boat manned and armed, when he effected the boarding of her, and was told she was a vessel where the slaves had risen on the crew; the captain of her, and part of the crew, had, after a sharp engagement, taken to the boat. The deponent further states, that he found two of the slaves dead, and that many of the others were nearly starved to death: several were afterwards sent on shore at Cape Mount, to prevent their dying on board: and that himself, and nearly the whole of the crew of their own vessel, were employed, from the seventeenth day of May to the twentieth, in getting the said brig ready for sea; and on the twentieth day of May they left Cape Mount for Sierra Leone, and arrived there on the twenty-third following. The deponent lastly states, that there were five slaves died during their passage; and that, as he was bringing the said brig to anchor off Cockle-Bay, about half past nine on the twenty-third, they were boarded by an officer of his majesty's brig Tigress, who said he was desired to leave a man on board, but remained himself: the following morning he got the brig under weigh, and brought her to in the harbour of Sierra Leone.

(Signed)" STEPHEN OLIVE PACK."

"Sworn before me, this twenty-ninth day of May, 1811,

(Signed) "A. SMITH, Judge V.-A. Court."

These captives were in the most miserable condition from the distress they had lately been in, as can well be conceived: it was therefore judged advisable to land them immediately, as they could be accommodated with more comfortable lodgings, and their wants more readily attended to.

VOL. II.

H

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