(Enclosure.)-Vessels boarded by His Majesty's Ship Brazen,

Barbarita-Schooner, 65 tons, 19 men, 1 gun, P. Blanco, Master and Owner, from Havannah, fitted for slaves; boarded by the Brazen, off Quitta, 20th of November 1825.

Magico-Brigantine, 130 tons, 35 men, 5 guns, Inza, Master, from Havannah; boarded off Whydah, 24th November 1825; fully fitted for Slaves.

Eliza-Schooner, 85 tons, 25 men, from Saint Thomas, under Portuguese Colours, fitted for Slaves; boarded off Whydah, 24th November.

Feliz Africano-Brig, 227 tons, 25 men, 2 guns, Antonio José Gabao, Master, from Bahia, under Brazilian Colours; boarded off Whydah 24th November, Slaves ready to embark, left her at Whydah early in February.

Bienfaisant-Brigantine, 69 tons, 12 men, Luzet, Master, from Rochelle, under French Colours; boarded off Whydah, 24th November, supposed to be Slaving,

Alliance dos Naçoens-Brig, 16 men, Luiz de Sylva, Master, from Bahia, under Brazilian Colours; boarded off Whydah, likely to take in her Siaves at Little Elmina or Popo; boarded again off Whydah, 24th November; again at Little Elmina, 3d February.

Carlota-Brigantine, 176 tons, 30 men, 4 guns, José da Costa, Master, from Bahia, under Brazilian Colours; boarded 1st December, likely to take in Slaves at Whydah.

Nova Brilliante-Brig, 260 tons, 20 men, 2 guns, Antonio Alvo de Silva Porto, Master, from Bahia, under Brazilian Colours; boarded by the Brazen, off Badagry, 28th December.

Prince of Guinea-Brig, 260 tons, 17 men, 5 guns, from Philadelphia, under American Colours; Cargo said to be bought by De Souza, at Whydah; boarded there 30th December.

L'Entreprenante-Brig, 216 tons, 18 men, 2 guns, from Bordeaux, Gassris, Master, under French Colours; Cargo consigned to De Souza; boarded at Whydah 31st January.

St. Juan-Ketch, 49 tons, 18 mens, 2 guns, Manl. Dos Santos De Costa, Master, under Brazilian Colours, with a Passport to carry 125 Slaves from Molembo; boarded off Ningo, 3d February.

Caridade-Ketch, 106 tous, 21 men, 2 guns, José de Santa Tarara, Master, under Brazilian Colours; fitted for Slaves; boarded to windward of Accra, 5th February.

Activo-Brig, 149 tons, 21 men, José Pinto, Master, under Brazilian Colours; boarded the 17th November, off Accra, and seen between Badagry and Porto Novo early in February.

No. 9.-J. T. Williams, Esq. to Mr. Sec". Canning.-(Rec. July 12.)
SIR,
Sierra Leone, April 5, 1826)

I HAVE very considerable pleasure in communicating to you the return to this Place, on the 1st instant, by the Government Steam Vessel African, of his Honour D. M. Hamilton, Chief Judge of this Colony.

Mr. Hamilton immediately resumed his functions, as His Majesty's Commissioner of Arbitration, in the Courts of Mixed Commission, and of Justice, a circumstance which is to me most satisfactory, for several reasous, but particularly from the value I attach to the assistance, which his experience will enable him to afford me, in Cases of doubt or difficulty. I have the honour to be, &c.

The Right Hon. George Canning.

J. T. WILLIAMS.

No. 10.-Mr. Secretary Canning to J. T. Williams, Esq.

Foreign Office, July 21, 1826.

SIR,
I HAVE received your Despatch of the 5th of April, reporting that
Mr. Hamilton had arrived at Sierra Leone, and had taken upon himself
the functions of His Majesty's Commissioner of Arbitration.

I am glad to take this opportunity of expressing my approbation of the diligence, zeal, and good sense, which you have shewn in the execution of your duties, during the time in which you have acted as His Majesty's Commissary Judge at Sierra Leone.

J. T. Williams, Esq.

I am, &c.

GEORGE CANNING.

No. 11.-His Majesty's Comm". to Mr. Sec". Canning.-(Rec. Sept. 2.) (Extract.) Sierra Leone, May 20, 1826. We have been honoured with your Despatch of the 23d of February, enclosing a Communication from the Admiralty, with several Letters and Enclosures from Vice-Admiral Sir Lawrence Halsted, relative to the "arrival at Cuba of a Spanish Vessel, reported to have re-captured, on the Coast of Africa, two Vessels concerned in the Slave-trade, which Vessels have been detained by a British Cruizer, and were on their way to Sierra Leone for adjudication."

We instituted immediate enquiry, in order to gain any information that might assist in elucidating this transaction.

The only Vessel that we could ascertain to be missing, was the Spanish Brigantine Isabella, detained by His Majesty's Ship Redwing, Captain Clavering, in Old Calabar River, at the same time (6th October 1825,) as the Spanish Schooners Teresa and Ana. With the me

lancholy fate of the Teresa, you have already been acquainted, and the Cases of both Vessels have been communicated to you by His Majesty's late Acting Commissioners, in their Despatches of the 10th of January 1826, marked Spain.

A few loose Papers were lodged in the Registry by Lieutenant Card, the Officer who boarded the Isabella, the material ones having been conveyed away when the Vessel was deserted; and, as he had left Sierra Leone, no further information could be obtained: we were, therefore, of necessity, obliged to defer our enquiries until the return of Captain Clavering.

The Redwing having returned to Sierra Leone from a Cruize, a Letter was addressed to Captain Clavering on the 4th of May on this subject; we received his Reply on the 13th, and of which we inclose a Copy.

Captain Clavering was also requested to furnish us with a List of the Officers and Crew placed by him on board the Isabella. A Copy of this Document we also beg leave to inclose for your information, and it is but justice to this excellent Officer to observe, that the number appears fully adequate to the duty.

Two Vessels are mentioned in Vice-Admiral Halsted's Letter to the Admiralty, but our enquiries have been fruitless as to any other than the Isabella. It is, however, notorious, that a most nefarious system is pursued on the Coast of Africa by Vessels under the Flag of Spain.

One of their practices, as we have been given to understand, is to lay in wait for other Slave-vessels, take possession when their lading is completed, and transfer their Cargoes.

It has come to our know dge that The Nethe: lands Schooner La Venus, (condemned as Prize to His Majesty's Ship Atholl, Captain Murray,) was detained on her passage to Sierra Leone, by a Brig and Schooner off the Island of St. Thomas, on the 9th of September 1825.

We had no opportunity of conferring with the Party in charge of The Netherlands Schooner; but we have understood that, previous to boarding La Venus, the Brig telegraphed to the Schooner, when she hoisted a red Ensign and Pendant, bore up and fired a gun, shotted, at La Venus; La Venus then hoisted Dutch Colours, (not having any English on board,) the Schooner then shewed Spanish Colours, and again fired; La Venus then hove to, and Mr. Hodder, whose charge she was under, was then obliged to go on board the Schooner, where he was detained two hours, and improperly treated. During this time the Brig closed, and the Prize Master was removed from the Schooner on board of her. At noon, Mr. Hodder was allowed to return, but with positive orders to keep between the Brig and Schooner. In the night

they separated. The Brig was called by the Captain the Don Pedro, pierced for 22, but mounted only 16 or 18, guns, with a complement of 88 men; painted black, with a white ribbon, sliding gunter royal masts, and had on board, he believes, 600 Slaves. The men on board wanted the Captain to take La Venus, to which he would not agree.

The Schooner had two top-sails, four small guns, and a long one a midships on a pivot; does not recollect how she was painted; both Vessels were bound to The Havannah.

Another, and a very recent, instance has occurred. The Netuno, a Brazilian Brigantine, detained by His Majesty's Ship Esk, Captain Purchas, arrived here on the 2d instant, having had a rencontre on her passage with one of these Piratical Spanish Vessels, in which the Prize Master Mr. Crawford, appears to have acted with a great degree of spirit and firmness.

The Right Hon. George Canning.

SIR,

J. T. WILLIAMS.
D. M. HAMILTON.

(Enclosure 1.)-Captain Clavering to J. T. Williams, Esq.

H. M. S. Redwing, S erra Leone, May 13, 1826. In compliance with your request, I readily proceed to give such information as I am possessed of, relative to the Spanish Brigantine Isabella, detained by His Majesty's Ship under my command in October last, which Vessel has been missing since the day of her parting company for Sierra Leone, to which Port she was ordered for adjudication.

On the 5th of October, 1825, the Boats were despatched up the Oid Calabar River in quest of Vessels concerned in illegally carrying on the Slave-trade. At day-light, on the 6th, a Schooner and a Brigantine were discovered coming down the River under sail, to which the Boats immediately gave chase; on nearing them, both hoisted Spanish Colours; the headmost (the Schooner) wearing a broad pendant, opened a fire on the Boats, which was instantly returned, and, after a short contest of about a quarter of an hour, the Boats succeeded in closing, boarding, and carrying the Schooner. The Crew of the Brigantine, seeing the fate of their comrade, took to their Boats, and escaped amongst the Mangrove Bushes, carrying with them also the Papers of the Vessel. From this circumstance we only know of her being called the Isabela, from the verbal Communication of the Captain, Francisco Granelle, and the Crew of the Theresa, who had no hesitation in acknowledging that she was a Spaniard, belonging to St. Jago de Cuba. This was further corroborated by some loose Letters found on board the Spanish Schooner Anna, being No. 14 of the Papers deposited in that Case in the Mixed Commission Court at Sierra Leone, which, if necessary to be produced, may be obtained at that Court.

At the time of capture, the Isabella had on board 273 Slaves, and the Theresa 248. The very crowded state of the former induced me to remove 50 of them into this Ship, which were afterwards put on board the Anna, another Spanish Schooner, which arrived in safety, and was condemned at this Port.

As the fate of the Theresa is too well known, having been lost in a tornado, I shall confine myself to stating, that the Isabella parted company on the 9th October for Sierra Leone, officered and manned as per accompanying List, which I trust will be found sufficiently ample to prosecute such further enquiries as may lead to the detection of this most abominable piracy. Since the above period she has never been heard of.

From an attentive perusal of the Letters transmitted by Vice-Ad. miral Sir Lawrence Halsted to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, I cannot but strongly suspect, that the Brigantine therein mentioned, and called the Juanita, is the identical Isabella, with the circumstance only of her name changed, as the date of her arrival, the 29th of November, corresponds but too well with the time she would have taken to perform that voyage, namely, a period of 51 days. The non-appearance of the Officers and men leads me also to the melancholy and distressing conclusion, that they must have been brought to an untimely end.

Having now given all the information that has come to my knowledge, I have only to add, that no official Report was made of her loss when I was last in Port, as it was then still within the bounds of possibility that she might arrive. I have, &c. John Tasker Williams, Esq.

D. C. CLAVERING.

P. S. Of the other Vessel, a Brig mentioned in Sir Lawrence Halsted's Letter, I know nothing further than that she could not be a Prize to any of His Majesty's Squadron on this Station, as no Portuguese Vessel had been detained at that time by the Squadron.

D. C. C.