(Inclosure 3.)—List of Cases adjudged in the Courts of Mixed Commission at Sierra Leone, betwixt 1st Jan. 1824, and 1st Jan. 1825.

No. 3.--Mr. Secretary Canning to His Majesty's Commissioners. GENTLEMEN,

Foreign Office, June 15, 1825.

I HEREWITH transmit to you, for your information, six Copies of Papers, marked A and B, relative to the Slave Trade, which have been presented to both Houses of Parliament, by His Majesty's Command, in the course of the present Session. His Majesty's Commissioners.

I am, &c.

GEORGE CANNING.

No. 4.-His Majesty's Comm". to Mr. Sec". Canning.-(Rec. June 24.) SIR, Sierra Leone, April 10, 1825. IN commencing the Report which we now have the honour to address to you, relative to the state of the Slave Trade, and other circumstances connected with this Coast, since the last statement of the Commissioners, we have to lament the death of Mr. Gregory, His Majesty's Commissary Judge, whose attention had been particularly directed to the acquirement of that information which we fear the opportunities we have enjoyed will not enable us to afford.

We regret to state that, from every information we have received, the Slave Trade of the Cape de Verde Islands has rather increased than diminished since the last Report of His Majesty's Commissioners. Indeed we have good reason to believe that the vigilance of the Supreme

Government of those Islands is rendered nugatory, by the system pursued in carrying on this Traffick, in small Schooners running from the Islands of "Brava" and "Fogo" to the Rivers " Cazamança," "Cacheo," "Bissao," and "Grande," from whence the Slaves are brought, and afterwards shipped in larger Vessels for the Brazils and other Slave markets. The principal Persons who continue to be engaged in this Trade at the Cape de Verdes, are, the noted Brandão, the former Owner of the Conde de Villa Flor, and Antoine Léger, a Frenchman by birth, but naturalized as a Portuguese Subject: the former employs several of the small Vessels in the carrying trade on his own account; -is reported to have shipped off in the last year two full Cargoes from the Island of " Brava," for Foreign sale, and at the date of the last accounts, which have reached this from St. Jago, was then there in a large Brig, well armed, waiting the result of his negotiations with the Slave Factories in the Rivers we have before alluded to. The latter, Antoine Léger, is solely employed in the Traffick between the Islands and the Coast, in the prosecution of which he is stated to have lost two Vessels in the last twelve months, by their getting ashore on the Island of St. Jago, at which place both these men are frequently to be met with, and where their occupations are perfectly well known, and no doubt duly reported, with all other matters connected with the Cape de Verdes, by His Majesty's Consul at that Post. In justice, however, to the present Governor-General, who generally resides at Porto Praya, we deem it necessary to state that his Excellency is spoken of as desirous of putting a stop to the Slave Trade within his Government, and also to be greatly interested in improving the condition of the Natives; the connivance, however, of most of the Authorities under him, and particularly the Residents of the several Islands, and those in the Rivers "Cacheo" and "Bissao," has hitherto and will continue to prevent much good resulting from his Excellency's personal good feeling, that has led him to adopt, so far as his means would allow him, a System of Government much superior to his Predecessors, and which we are informed is already visible in the improved appearance of the Capital and state of the Police of St. Jago.

The principal Slave Factories in the Rivers we have before named, are, Zingiehor, in the Cazamança, the Governor of which is a Portuguese Negro, and most deeply engaged in the Traffick; St. Domingo, in the Cacheo; Bissao Island, in the River of that name; and Bellola, in the Rio Grande. These marts, in addition to supplying the Cape de Verde Islands, by means of their small craft, furnish Cargoes for larger Vessels which go there direct for Slaves. No authentick account of the number of Africans exported from these Rivers can be given: there is, however, every reason to believe that the Traffick has not lately diminished in any of them. Among the larger class of Vessels which are known to have loaded Slaves on this part of the Coast, in

the last year, may be instanced a piratical Brigantine under Spanish Colours, pierced for 18 guns, and manned with 46 men of all Nations. This Vessel was reported to Commodore Bullen, who promptly sent His Majesty's Sloop l'ictor in search of her. Captain Woollcombe, of that Ship, however, on his arrival, found that she had sailed, and it was reported with a full Cargo, from the Cazamança, off the Bar of which River she anchored, and employed small craft in bringing the Slaves on board her. The French Schooner Martiniquein, of Guadaloupe, commanded by Monsieur Marsin, also fitted to carry a Cargo of Slaves, in going into the Cazamança in October last, was run on the Bar by a French Pilot of Goree, and the Vessel totally lost: part of the Cargo being saved was afterwards taken to that Island. The Captain of this Vessel died in the Gambia. The Esperanza, a Portuguese Brig, in the beginning of last year was also totally lost at the mouth of the same River, having mistaken its entrance for the Cacheo. This Vessel had shortly before been rebuilt at Lisbon, and fitted out at an expense of (it is asserted) 14,000 dollars, for the Slave Trade between Cacheo and the Brazils, in which Traffick she had been successfully employed since the year 1817.

The Commerce of our Settlement in the River Gambia, which from its establishment has been rapidly improving, sustained considerable injury in the last year by the large importations of American goods, which were brought by the French from the Free Port of Goree, and conveyed (without being liable to the duties paid by our Merchants for the merchandize they bring into the River) to the Factory at Albreda; in return for which the French exported hides and very large quantities of wax, gold, ivory, &c. The internal Slave Trade and consequent intercourse of the Natives (by Creeks) between this River and those of Cazamança, Cacheo, and Bissao, has also taken away large quantities of the Country Produce formerly obtained by our Traders, but which is now carried to the Slave Factories in those Rivers: notwithstanding, however, these drawbacks upon our Commerce, it is most gratifying to know, that, owing to the perseverance of the Merchants, who have extended their trade higher up the River under the protection of the Government, (who for that purpose have taken possession of an Island about 400 miles from St. Mary's, and which is garrisoned by a small military force,) the Exports in the past year are supposed to exceed in value 125,000l., to which may be added about 12,000l. sent home in gum, which is procured by a Company of British Merchants at St. Mary's, from the Moors at Portendick. The timber trade of this River is also likely to prove a commerce of considerable importance, several Vessels having sailed in the last year with full Cargoes.

We seldom receive information which can be depended on from the French Settlements of Senegal and Goree; the accounts which,

however, have reached us, represent the concurrence of the Colonial Authorities there, to the Inhabitants procuring, as domestic Slaves, any number of Africans they please, provided they are registered in the presence of the Mayor of Goree or Senegal; and further, that the Government have purchased considerable numbers, whom they have embodied as Soldiers to garrison their Forts in the Senegal, in which River they employ two Steam Vessels, and on the banks of which they spare no expense in encouraging tropical agriculture; first, by granting land to Settlers, and issuing rations and agricultural tools for 12 months, to as many Domestics as they may employ; and secondly, in offering very large premiums to those who may raise given quantities of certain produce.

The Rio Nunez, which we shall next consider, runs through a valuable Country, and approaches Foola Jolla. During the legitimate Slave Trade, this was the great outlet of Foulah Commerce through Labi, the Northern Capital of that Kingdom, and if now well supplied with merchandize, would, we understand, take away the whole produce trade of Bissao: it furnishes rice, gold, wax, hides, and ivory. Some of the Merchants of this Colony, and the Isles de Loss, have Factories on its banks, and there are also a number of resident Traders. It is always difficult to ascertain the amount of produce exported from the Rivers upon this Coast, out of British jurisdiction; but from the best information, we have reason to believe that 30,000 hides, 100 tons of rice, 20 tons of bees' wax, 10 tons of ivory, and at least 3,000l. worth of gold, have been procured in the Rio Nunez in the last 12 months, besides cattle, which may be purchased to any extent, and of which a considerable number have been exported in the last year to the West Indies.

A Slave Vessel entered this River last November; the Residents, however, refused to load her, and she was eventually supplied by a Portuguese from Bissao. This is the only instance we have heard of a Cargo of Slaves being taken from this River since the last Report of the Commissioners; there is, however, as we are informed, a considerable Traffick by the Creeks from thence to Bissao, Slaves being marched overland from the Rio Pongas for that purpose.

Since the capture of the Rosalia by Captain, then Lieutenant, Hagan, in 1822, very few Vessels that we are aware of had entered the Rio Pongas for Slaves, until within the last six months, when the Traffick appears to have partially revived. In the early part of September we had information of two Vessels being there engaged in the illicit Trade, one under French, the other Spanish Colours; and in the beginning of this year, two others were known to have entered that River, and delivered merchandize for Slaves; of these, one (a Brig) has sailed, as we are informed, with a full Cargo, the other (a Schooner) is still there, most of the Crew having died. Previous to the arrival of [1825-26.]

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these Vessels, the Residents of that River, most of whom are Mulattoes, and possessed of a great number of domestic Slaves, had been turning their attention to agriculture, and in furtherance of it, procured some thousands of coffee-plants from this Colony. Since the last Report of the Commissioners, a gentleman residing here has himself forwarded 10,000; and from a letter found on board the Spanish Schooner Española, lately condemned by the British and Spanish Mixed Commission, we find that two of the most opulent white Traders in that River were employing themselves in legitimate trade and agriculture, and from other sources we have reason to believe such is the case. A civil War, which is however still carrying on, has tended much to disturb the innocent Commerce of the Rio Pongas, and we fear is not likely to be amicably settled at present, the Parties being very much exasperated against each other. Ormond, a Native Trader, assisted by the Foulahs, is opposed to Lawrence Tom Curtis (who murdered the Boat's Crew of His Majesty's Gun Brig Thistle) and some Native Chiefs. The Foulah in command has orders (as he says) from his Chief to get the heads of Lawrence Curtis, and Yenge Coney, the Chief Native: this man has also told, to respectable Persons of this Colony, that he is authorized and anxious to give us the possession of the River, which the Americans settled there are very desirous to obtain, in order to form an establishment under the protection of their Nation. The value of the Trade to them is most important, and the intercourse constant and regular with The United States. This Nation has increased its Commerce with the Rio Pongas, in the last year, two-fold.

With respect to this Colony, it is most gratifying to us to be enabled to state, that its export Trade has increased since the last Report of the Commissioners beyond any former Period; the quantity of timber exported from October last to the date of this Report, is not less than 14,000 loads, with 22 Vessels still lying here to obtain Cargoes during the present shipping season (the end of May); while the exports for the following Periods are as follows: from October 1821, to May 1822, 1,000 load; from October 1822, to May 1823, 1,700 load; from October 1823, to May 1824, 11,000 load. Great confidence has been given to the Persons engaged in this Trade, by the Colonial Government having obtained the cession and sovereignty of the Islands in this River, and also the northern bank of the same, a Measure which was alluded to in the last Report of the Commissioners as extremely desirable to be accomplished. These Merchants have thus become tenants of their own Government, instead of living, as heretofore, at the mercy of the petty Chiefs, who were their former landlords. They are already extending their trade, and erecting more substantial buildings, on the faith of the protection which has thus been afforded to them. The value shipped in gold, brought from the interior during the same Period, has been greater than all the preceding years together;