cannon were perceived placed in battery, but masked by branches of trees, and on proceeding further, another battery of 6 guns, completely commanding the creek, was observed with men behind it, holding fire-sticks, ready to fire off the guns; but on Lieutenant Robson standing in the bow of the boat, and telling the men not to fire, as he had come to seek an interview with Smart, they retired; but on the boat proceeding a little further up, it was found that some large trees had been felled to fall across the creek, which obstructed further progress; and immediately after a heavy gun, with volleys of musketry, was fired from an ambush on the gig, killing, I regret to state, one marine and one of the Kroo boys employed in paddling the boat, and wounding three other marines and one Kroo boy. On this the men were landed, and with their Minié rifles drove the natives into the bush upon some of their number falling. Lieutenant Robson then desired Mr. Rickards, Master's Assistant of the Bloodhound, in charge of the jolly-boat, to destroy the battery which commanded the creek: this was effected; two of the guns being put into the jolly-boat, and the other four, in consequence of their great weight, were thrown into the deep mud of the creek. The party then returned to the ship, and in the afternoon the Bloodhound returned to her anchorage off the factories. On the following morning an officer was sent to the Chief, Jerry requesting his attendance on board the Bloodhound, to explain his conduct, which appeared very suspicious, and led to the conclusion that he was in league with Smart. Considering, from the hostile and suspicious conduct of the Chief, Jerry, the very man appointed by the late Consul Beecroft to protect the British traders, that the large amount of property on shore, particularly that of Messrs. Harrison and Co.'s, which is situated on Jerry's side of the river, was in an exposed state, I addressed a letter, of which I have the honour to inclose a copy, separately to the agents, requesting them to favour me with their opinion on this point, and also what messures they could suggest, the adoption of which would tend to give greater security to the property at the factories. I have the honour to transmit a copy of the joint reply of Messrs. Snape and McKay, to my letter, addressed to them separately. The suggestion contained in this letter to appoint Abrimoney, Chief of Batara, the Governor, or rather the protector of the British factories, was carried out, and an agreement to that effect was formally concluded between that Chief and myself, on board Her Majesty's steam-vessel Bloodhound, a copy of which I have the honour to transmit; the other suggestion of the agents I shall not fail to lay before Admiral Grey or Commodore Wise. I must inform your Lordship that Jerry is a representative of the old Slave Trade Chiefs, who formerly, as subordinates to the Kings of Benin and Warree, conducted Slave Trade transactions with the supercargoes of slave vessels visiting the Benin river, under French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Brazilian colours; and that Abrimoney and his numerous followers were formerly the confidential slaves of the Kings of Warree, who, whether foreseeing a break-up of the Warree family, or from a desire to become their own masters, had, prior to the death of the last King of Warree, commenced building a town at the head of a creek, on the left or south side of the Benin river, above Messrs. Horsfall's establishment. Since the death of the last King of Warree, Abrimoney and his numerous followers have altogether made Batara their place of residence; they are considered, on the whole, as by far the most industrious traders, and have shown a good disposition to meet their trading engagements with the factory agents. This class of people, emancipated from slavery, in Benin, as elsewhere in Africa, regard with respect the English, as opponents of slavery and the Slave Trade. There was one circumstance which this affair in Smart's Creek brought prominently to notice, which I feel bound to report to your Lordship, in order that a strong representation from Her Majesty's Government may be made to the Liverpool firms trading in the Bights of Benin and Biafra, to discontinue so improper and suicidal a practice. The very cannon and bullets with which Smart killed and wounded the marines and Kroomen of Her Majesty's steamvessel Bloodhound, had been imported by the English factories, and sold to this fellow, and other natives, as merchandize. On my protesting against the sale of such munitions of war to the natives, Mr. Snape, Messrs. Horsfall's agent, remarked that he had in store some 200 of the cannon, two-pounders to six-pounders, unsold, and that his predecessor, Mr. Chestham, had lately imported for a favourite trader, several hundredweight of leaden bullets. The importation of trade muskets and gunpowder is mischievous enough, and is now probably difficult to discontinue; but the importation of cannon for sale to the natives, with shot to use with them, is most improper, and leads not only to the frequent interruption of commerce, by arming the natives one against the other, but to the natives using these cannon and munitions against British lives and property. The Chief, Abrimoney, on signing the agreement, begged me to prevent any more such importations into the Benin river, remarking, that when a boy, young men like Smart, purchased a canoe and four cannon to arm it, he considered himself in a position to go to war even with the English. The Earl of Clarendon. B. CAMPBELL. (Inclosure 1.)-Consul Campbell to Messrs. McKay and Snape. GENTLEMEN, Bloodhound, Benin River, February 17, 1858. THIS being the second visit of Her Majesty's steam-vessel Bloodhound to this river within the last few months to afford protection and assistance to the British trading establishments, I wish, before leaving the river, to be favoured with your opinion as to security of the property in your charge, and what measures in your opinion are necessary, and can be carried out, to increase that security the piratical seizure of Messrs. Horsfall's schooner boat, and the reluctance of Jerry and the other Chiefs to interfere for its restoration, together with Jerry's refusal hitherto to pay his customary visit to me on board Her Majesty's vessel, manifesting, in my opinion, propensities hostile to the security of the property on shore. I am, &c. Messrs. McKay and Snape. SIR, B. CAMPBELL. (Inclosure 2.)-Messrs. McKay and Snape to Consul Campbell. Benin River, February 18, 1858. In reply to your letter of the 17th instant, respecting what measures in our opinion can be adopted to add to the protection and security of the property in our charge at Messrs. Horsfall and Messrs. Harrison's establishments in this place, during the present unsettled and hostile intentions on the part of Jerry and several of his Chiefs, we beg to inform you that the only sure method we can suggest is, that you will apply for one of Her Majesty's cruizers, for the purpose of remaining in the river a short time, or that one of Her Majesty's cruizers visit us, say once a month, for 5 or 6 months. This, in our opinion, will put a stop to the natives plundering or molesting us in any way. If Abrimoney of Batara will accept of the Governorship, we request you will appoint him in the place of Jerry, as we have confidence Abrimoney and his Chiefs will afford us some protection from Jerry and his tribe, who are evidently hostile. In consideration of this we will pay Abrimoney any comey that you consider fair and reasonable. From remarks these natives have made to us time after time, we are of opinion that Jerry, Jibuffa, and sundry other old Chiefs, wish us to leave the place, thinking by so doing that slavers will visit this river again : this is the only reason we can account for their repeated palavers and for troubling and annoying us so. B. Campbell, Esq. We have, &c. JAMES S. SNAPE. (Inclosure 3.)-Agreement. KNOW all men that I, Benjamin Campbell, Her Britannic Majesty's Consul for the Bight of Benin, deeming it necessary for the [1858-59. XLIX.] 3 T better security and protection of British property, and for the personal safety of the subjects of Her Majesty residing in the Benin river, have, with the advice and consent of Gordon McKay, Esquire, agent for Messrs. Thomas Harrison and Co., and of James Snape, Esquire, agent for Messrs. Charles Horsfall and Sons, all of Liverpool, this day appointed Abrimoney, Chief of Battaré, Governor of that part of the Benin river reaching from Warree Creek to the river's mouth, and Protector of the British Agents, and all other British subjects residing in or visiting the Benin river, and of the property stored at their factories. And it is hereby agreed and consented to by the said Gordon McKay and James Snape, Esquires, on their own behalf, and on the behalf of their successors, that there shall be paid to the said Abrimoney, Chief of Battaré, a comey of 200 pawns for every mast of any vessel loading in the Benin river, or at the anchorage outside. the bar, in consideration of such protection to British property and British subjects accorded as aforesaid, which said comey is to be paid before opening trade or discharging cargo. And the said Abrimoney, Chief of Battaré, on his part voluntarily, on the above-stated comey being duly paid to him, undertakes to protect, with all his power and influence, the British property deposited in this river on shore or afloat, and all the British agents and other subjects of Her Britannic Majesty. And Benjamin Campbell, Esquire, Her Britannic Majesty's Consul, on his part stipulates that, on its being made known to him, or to his successor, or to the Senior Naval Officer of Her Majesty's naval forces in the Bight of Benin, that the presence of a ship of war in the Benin is necessary to support the said Chief Abrimoney in protecting British property and British subjects against a threatened hostile attack, that a suitable vessel of war shall be sent into the Benin river to support the Chief Abrimoney in protecting British property and British subjects. The above appointment accepted by Abrimoney, as witness ABRIMONEY his mark. Given under my hand, and the seal of my Consulate, on board Her Majesty's steam-vessel Bloodhound, the 18th day of February, 1858, in the presence of the Commander and officers of that ship. Being present: C. ROBSON, Lieutenant and Commander. RICHARD ONSLOW, Mate. JOHN T. C. WEBB, Second Master. E. TENISON RYAN, Assistant Surgeon. C. CAMPBELL. J. C. MEAGHER, Assistant Paymaster in charge. No. 7.-Consul Campbell to the Earl of Malmesbury.—(Rec. June 8.) (Extract.) Lagos, April 30, 1858. I HAVE the honour to transmit, for your Lordship's information, copy of a letter addressed to me by Mr. John Chillingworth, member of a respectable mercantile firm in Liverpool, who lately arrived at this place in the steam mail-packet Ethiope. The fearful events which took place on board the Regina Cœli in the successful struggle made by the slaves to recover their freedom, exposes the true nature of the so-called "French Free Emigration Scheme." I beg to call your Lordship's particular attention to the statement made to Mr. Chillingworth by the free man Peter, probably a Krooman, that himself and others, on going on board the Regina Cali to offer themselves as free labourers, were at o ce put into irons and placed in the hold of the vessel. The revival of the Slave Trade by France, under the specious designation of free emigration, is of itself exercising a most pernicious influence in the countries near to the sea-coast, and if this iniquitous system of kidnapping (rarely pursued by the Spanish and Brazilian slave-traders) is also sanctioned by the Imperial Government of France, it will lead to a general distrust on the part of the natives on the coast to venture on board any vessel, either to trade or to offer themselves as labourers. As Mr. Newnham, Her Majesty's Consul at Monrovia, will doubtless furnish your Lordship with every particular of this event, I do not think it necessary to communicate what I have heard from other passengers of the Ethiope. The Earl of Malmesbury. B. CAMPBELL. (Inclosure.)—Mr. Chillingworth to Consul Campbell. DEAR SIR, Lagos, April 23, 1858. KNOWING the interest you take in all matters that concern the suppression of the Slave Trade on the West Coast of Africa, I beg to lay before you the particulars of a transaction which came under my own observation during my recent journey from England to here on board the Ethiope, Captain Croft. The Ethiope arrived at the Liberian capital, Monrovia, on the afternoon of the 14th instant. The ship's boat going ashore with the captain, myself and three other of the passengers availed ourselves of the opportunity of paying our respects to ex-President Roberts. While at his house he informed us that a large French vessel called the Regina Coeli had been for some weeks past collecting emigrants along the coast, but that five or six days prior to our arrival the emigrants had revolted during the absence of the captain, purser, and two or three of the crew, who fortunately were on shore at the time; the seamen on board, 11 in number, were all |