Sent to Pará, for sale .............

7 Women

Taken away from the Deposit, by the Person

who had charge of the Negroes, Joze 7 Men

No. 81.-Mr. Consul Hesketh to Mr. Sec". Canning.-(Rec. Aug. 21.)
SIR,
Maranham, July 5, 1826.

I HAVE the honour to make known that a Schooner, under Portuguese Colours, called Nove de Março, Joze Fernandes de Pinho, Master, of about 35 tons, arrived at this Port on the 25th ultimo, having, besides a Crew of 12 Persons, 86 Negroes on board as a Cargo of Slaves.

The Vessel and Slaves were reported at the Custom-House, as direct from Cabinda, and a Passport shewn, dated St. Jago, Cape de Verd Islands, 24th November, 1825, authorizing a Voyage to Cabinda; and the chief part of the Slaves were landed at the Consignee's House, where they were carefully kept.

These circumstances being suspicious, and although the Local Authorities had allowed the landing of the Slaves from the Schooner, I addressed a Letter, on the 29th ultimo, to His Excellency the President, upon the subject, a Copy of which I beg leave to enclose, together with His Excellency's Answer.

On the following day I again addressed His Excellency, having ascertained that the Vessel came direct from the Cape de Verd Islands, and that most of the Slaves on board were Cacheo Negroes; a Copy of which Letter, and of His Excellency's Reply, I also beg leave to enclose.

I am not aware of the steps taken by His Excellency to prove satisfactorily the fraudulent Entry of the Nove de Março; but I am

firmly convinced of the illegality of the Voyage, and of the facility with which such illegality can be clearly proved, if proper measures be taken by the competent Authorities.

It may be expedient to state, that a very fast-sailing Americanbuilt Schooner, under the Brazilian Flag, called the Arsenia, lately belonging to this Port, has been sold at Rio de Janeiro; and that I expect this Vessel will also attempt the importation of Slaves into this Place, from prohibited Ports in Africa. I have the honour to be, &c. The Right Hon. George Canning. ROBERT HESKETH.

(Enclosure 1.)—Mr. Consul Hesketh to the President of the Province of Maranham.

MOST EXCELLent and IllustRIOUS SIR, Maranham, June 29, 1826. I BEG leave to acquaint your Excellency, that circumstances have come to my knowledge, since the arrival of the Portuguese Schooner Nove de Março, which lead me to suspect that the said Vessel, and the Negroes landed from her, have arrived from an African Port to the Northward of the Line.

Being desirous not to trouble your Excellency on this information alone, and at the same time to satisfy myself as to the correctness of such a Report, I requested the Consignee of the Slaves to allow them to be seen by a Person I sent; but this permission has been refused, although the Person went to the Consignee's House for the purpose both yesterday and to-day.

It is now, therefore, my duty to state these suspicions to your Excellency, requesting that your Excellency may be pleased to order a proper Examination, to ascertain from the Negroes themselves, by the aid of Interpreters, the Nation to which they belonged on the Coast of Africa. I have the honour to be, &c.

H. E. Pedro Joze da Costa Barros.

ROBERT HESKETH.

(Enclosure 2.)-The President of the Province of Maranham to Mr. Consul Hesketh.-(Translation.)

SIR,

Maranham, June 30, 1826. I HAVE received your Letter, dated the 29th instant, informing me that, since the arrival of the Portuguese Schooner Nove de Março, you have learnt certain occurrences which make you suspect that that Vessel, and the Negroes landed from her, came from some African Port to the Northward of the Line; to which I reply, that the Passport, and other Documents belonging to the said Schooner, were examined in the Secretary's Office of this Government-House, and from them it appears that the Vessel is not one to which the Slave-trade Treaty has reference. However, I have ordered the competent Magistrate to proceed to an extra-judicial Examination, and I shall commu nicate to you the result. God preserve you. Robert Hesketh, Esq.

PEDRO JOZE DA COSTA BARROS.

(Enclosure 3.)—Mr. Consul Hesketh to the President of the Province of Maranham.

MOST EXCELLENT AND ILLUSTRIOUS SIR, Maranham, June 30, 1826. I HAVE had the honour to receive your Excellency's Letter, in answer to the Communication I laid before your Excellency yesterday, respecting the Schooner Nove de Março.

Further information regarding that Vessel's Voyage again obliges me, in the discharge of my duty, to acquaint your Excellency, that 2 Negresses and 1 Negro, all Cacheu Blacks, are now on board the Canoe Graça, to sail this tide for Itapicurú; and that those Negroes state they arrived in the said Schooner, direct from the Cape de Verd Islands, at this Port.

These facts strengthening my suspicions regarding the Report made at the Custom-House by the Master of the said Schooner, I thus most respectfully submit them for your Excellency's information. I have the honour to be, &c.

H. E. Pedro Joze da Costa Barros.

ROBERT HESKETH.

(Enclosure 4.)-The President of Maranham to Mr. Consul Hesketh. SIR, Maranham, June 30, 1826.

I HAVE to acknowledge the receipt of your Letter of this day's date, in answer to the one I addressed to you respecting the Schooner Nove de Março; and I shall take such measures as I deem requisite regarding the subject matter thereof. God preserve you. Robert Hesketh, Esq.

PEDRO JOZE DA COSTA BARROS.

No. 82.-Mr.Consul Hesketh to Mr. Sec". Canning.-(Rec. Sep. 16.) (Extract.) Maranham, July 15, 1826. THE last Despatch of this Series, which I had the honour to transmit, was dated the 5th instant, and I then made known the arrival of the Schooner Nove de Março; the suspicious circumstances of that Vessel's entry at the Custom-House; and the steps which I had, up to that date, taken to ascertain all the facts of the Case.

On the 6th instant I received from His Excellency the President a Report, stating that a full investigation had taken place, and that the Slave-trade Treaty had not been infringed by the Voyage of the Vessel in question. I have the honour to enclose a Translation of that Report.

I thought it my duty to remonstrate against the unsatisfactory nature of the Report, a Copy of which Remonstrance I also enclose. In it I made, among other solicitations, one for a Copy of the Survey held on the Negroes; and another for a Copy of the Passport of the Nove de Março; and I enclose a Translation of His Excellency's Reply to those solicitations.

Early in the Morning of the 9th instant, I was informed that se veral Cacheo Negroes, who had arrived in the Nove de Março, had been shipped on board of a Canoe, being a decked Vessel, for river navigation; and that the Canoe was to sail immediately for the interior of the Province.

My first step was to send on board of the Canoe, my Clerk, accompanied by a Cacheo Negro, as Interpreter, to ascertain the fact; and they found in the hold of the Vessel 35 Cacheo Negroes, the greatest part Women, who declared that they came direct from Cacheo, and were never in Cabinda.

I made immediate communication of this occurrence to His Excellency the President, in a Despatch, a Copy of which I beg leave to enclose; and it was delivered to His Excellency at a quarter before 10 o'clock, when the Canoe was still inside the Port, although under weigh.

The Canoe was, however, allowed to depart with the Negroes without any attempt being made to detain her for examination, although, owing to calm weather and a head-tide, it was perfectly easy to recall her, even at 11 o'clock.

Instead of that only effectual step, the President referred the matter to the Provincial Judge, and, at 2 o'Clock in the afternoon, I received from His Excellency's Aid-de-Camp the Letter, a Translation of which I have also enclosed.

I most humbly submit, for your information, a Copy of the Letter, which, in answer thereto, I addressed to His Excellency on the 10th instant.

I regret that I am also obliged to enclose a Translation of the unsatisfactory Answer His Excellency has thought fit to return to my Representations, and to my request that the Negroes, so improperly removed from just examination, should be brought back to this City.

I next addressed a Letter to the Provincial Judge, requesting a Copy of the Passport of the Nove de Março, and of the Survey on the Negroes, referring, at the same time, to the President's Orders, mentioned in the Enclosure numbered (3); but neither Document has been yet furnished to me.

I have never been allowed to see the original Passport; but, as it is dated Cape de Verd, there is every reason to suspect that the Nove de Março was never at Cabinda.

As for the irregularity of the Survey on the Negroes, it is not only proved by what I have ascertained, but even by the admission in the President's last Communication.

I enclose a Newspaper of this City, in which is published His Excellency's Report to me, being the Enclosure, numbered (1), and another Newspaper, containing His Excellency's Order, prohibiting the

registering of the Survey, although that is a customary measure. Translation of the Order (8), is annexed to the Newspaper.

A

From all the above-mentioned circumstances, I am convinced that the Voyage of the Nove de Março is an infraction of the Slave-trade Treaty; but I despair that this illegal act will meet a just investigation.

I anxiously hope that my conduct in this Affair will be deemed conformable with my duty, and worthy of your approbation: were such Proceedings allowed to pass with impunity, and the Importers of the Slaves by the Nove de Março permitted to reap, without further molestation, the profits of their illegal acts, no regard would be ultimately paid by the subordinate Authorities to the Slave-trade Treaties; and the importation of Negroes from prohibited Ports would become a channel of more frequent, and of less hazardous Traffick to this Place.

I beg leave to transmit, enclosed, a Description of the Nove de Março. It is reported that she is to sail soon for the Cape de Verd Islands, and is ready for Sea.

In order that His Majesty's Consul-General at Rio de Janeiro may have early information of this Case, I shall transmit to him, by the first direct opportunity, a Copy of this Report, and of its Enclosures.

The Right Hon. George Canning.

ROBERT HESKETH.

(Enclosure 1.)-The President of the Province of Maranham to Mr. Consul Hesketh.-(Translation.)

MOST ILLUSTRIOUS SIR,

Maranham, July 6, 1826.

I TRANSMIT, enclosed, a Copy, under the Secretary's Signature, of a Letter from the Ouvidor da Commarca, relative to the examination which I ordered of the Papers of the Schooner Nove de Março, lately arrived at this Port with Slaves, in order that you may be precisely informed, that those Slaves are not comprehended in the Treaty with England regarding that Commerce. God preserve you. Robert Hesketh, Esq. PEDRO JOZE DA COSTA BARROS.

(Enclosure 1, A.)—The Ouvidor da Commarca to the President of the Province of Maranham.-(Translation.)

MOST EXCELLENT AND ILLUSTRIOUS SIR, Maranham, July 5, 1826. I TRANSMIT to your Excellency, the Examination I made of the Papers and Passport, with which the Schooner Nove de Março was navigated from the Cape de Verd Islands to the Port of Cabinda, and from thence to this City; and, by these Documents, and the Examination of the Negroes which were brought, it is known that they are not comprehended in the Treaty with England relative to such Commerce, as they are from Nations to the Southward of the Equator;