_Captain Henry Worsley Hill_, R. N., called in; and examined.
7109. _Chairman._] What has been your connexion with the coast of
Africa?--I commanded the “Saracen” on the coast of Africa from October
1837 till January 1841.
7110. What part of the coast have you cruized along?--The first eight
months I was in the Bight of Benin; after that I went to the Cape of
Good Hope and Madagascar, returning to Sierra Leone in December 1838;
and continuing on the coast between Cape Palmas and Portendique till
June 1841.
7111. Has the character of the system of cruizing altered during that
period?--On the Sierra Leone side, certainly. Latterly, we established a
very close blockade.
7112. Have you been engaged in descents on the coast?--Yes, at Gallinas,
and at Sea-bar.
7113. At Gallinas you were engaged with Captain Denman?--Yes.
7114. At Sea-bar, were you by yourself?--The “Ferret” was there
likewise.
7115. What were the circumstances of your operations at Sea-bar?--I had
had a boat blockading Sea-bar, where there was a noted slave factory,
and my boat’s crew had required water, and on landing to procure water,
the king, Harry Tucker, refused water without I paid for it at a most
exorbitant rate, about a dollar a gallon he demanded; and I was
authorized by the Governor of Sierra Leone to endeavour to effect a
treaty, that had been sent out from the Home Government with the chiefs
of that part of the coast. I landed for the purpose of endeavouring to
effect this treaty, and also to inquire into the cause of the king’s
refusing my boat’s crew water. The slave factory belonging to Mr.
François is close to the usual place of landing, being close to the
water; it is at the southernmost entrance of the Sherboro’ River. On
landing I found that every person had left the factory; after a short
time, I succeeded in getting a messenger to go to the king, who was
represented to be in the bush, and requested that he would come to see
me, assuring him that I had come upon a friendly mission. He refused; I
then wrote to him for the same purpose; after waiting some time, several
people appeared at the borders of the wood, armed, and one man advanced
and came to me, and told me that Mr. François, the slave merchant, and
the king had armed the slaves for the purpose of coming down to attack
us, but that they preferred giving themselves up to us, and going to
Sierra Leone to be made free, and asking if I would receive them on
board; I of course told them yes, as many as would come, and I think
about fifty came down armed with muskets and cane knives. They procured
for themselves a canoe; I had not room in my own boats for them. They
represented that they had been very ill-used by the slave-factor, Mr.
François, flogged and beaten, and kept in irons, and confined closely in
the barracoons; and when they were in the boat they expressed their
delight, by clapping their hands and singing in their country manner. I
had determined upon destroying the barracoons, but I thought it better
if I could induce the slaves to do it themselves, it would be setting a
better example. Upon its being mentioned to the slave who could speak
English (there was only one who could speak English), he mentioned it to
the others, and two or three immediately volunteered from the troop, to
go up and burn the barracoons and the factory. They went and set fire to
it in about twenty places, and the place was destroyed. I was told
afterwards that this was followed by another slave factory being burnt
on the opposite side of the river the following day, by the slaves
themselves.
7116. Who was this Mr. François?--He is a slave factor, who has resided
a long time at Sea-bar; I believe he was once in the French navy as a
foremast man, but I am not certain.
7117. Was he living under the protection of the native chief there?--He
was living in the chief’s territory; therefore, I suppose he was there
with his sanction and knowledge; I had been there before, and I had seen
the chief in Mr. François’ house.
7118. Mr. _Forster_.] Do not you think it was setting rather a dangerous
example to tell the natives to destroy property under such
circumstances?--No, I thought I was setting a good example, or I should
not have done it.
7119. You think they could fully appreciate the motives and views with
which you acted?--Undoubtedly.
7120. Do the natives condemn the slave trade themselves?--They carry the
slave trade on; if they did not carry it on, there would be no slave
trade.
7121. Then on what ground of moral right could they account for your
destroying this property for the reason that it was with the view of
doing away with the slave trade, a trade which they do not consider
morally wrong?--They can easily, I think, appreciate the view with which
the slaves were armed to come down and attack Her Majesty’s boats, who
went there with friendly intentions.
7122. _Chairman._] Those whom you got to destroy the barracoons were
slaves themselves?--They were slaves, who had been armed to come and
attack us, and they came and placed themselves under British protection,
and begged to be taken to Sierra Leone.
7123. You think they would understand why you sent them to destroy the
means of imprisonment;--I think so, certainly.
7124. Mr. _Forster_.] You carried them to Sierra Leone?--I carried them
to Sierra Leone, and entrusted them to the protection of the governor.
7125. _Chairman._] Do you know any thing of the circumstances under
which those slaves had come there?--They were Mr. François’ slaves, and
I imagine they must have been purchased in the way in which all the
slave factors purchase their slaves; they are brought down from the
interior.
7126. Mr. _Forster_.] Have you given any similar advice to the native
chiefs, or the natives, on any other part of the coast, to destroy the
property of slave dealers?--I have advised the whole of the chiefs that
I have had any communication with to discontinue the slave trade, the
sale or barter of negroes to Europeans.
7127. _Chairman._] Was there property in those barracoons that were
destroyed?--There was very little property; I think the goods must have
been removed from the slave factory some time previously.
7128. Sir _T. D. Acland_.] The use of those barracoons was distinctly
for the purpose of keeping up the traffic in slaves?--The slaves had
been confined there, according to what I learned from those I received
on board, on the previous night, to the number of between 300 and 400.
There were a vast number of shackles and chains, with which they had
been chained, and the slaves had been removed out of the barracoons on
the approach of my boats.
7129. Therefore the property destroyed was only such as was used for the
most criminal purpose?--There was no property destroyed but what was
used for the slave trade. In fact, there was very little property
besides the buildings; every thing had been removed.
7130. Mr. _Forster_.] You think the natives could draw the distinction
between property of that description and other property which you
yourself might feel inclined to respect?--I think the natives could draw
the distinction between property intended for the slave trade, belonging
to a foreign slave dealer who had settled in the country for the express
purpose of carrying on the slave trade, which the natives know is
contrary to the laws of his own country, and contrary to the laws of all
Europe.
7131. But when they see those persons settle in their own country, with
the sanction and under the protection of their chiefs, do you think
that, under those circumstances, to teach them such a want of respect
for property can have a beneficial tendency in the country generally,
where it must have been witnessed by other natives, and known to other
natives besides those which you have mentioned as being engaged in this
transaction?--I think it must have a beneficial effect on the natives of
the country where it takes place.
7132. _Chairman._] In doing this did you act under specific
instructions, or upon your own responsibility?--Upon my own
responsibility; I have received the approbation of the Admiralty.
7133. Did you receive any general instructions to attack slave factories
wherever they were not under an European flag?--Not while I was on the
coast.
7134. Mr. _Forster_.] Did you visit the Rio Nunez?--Yes.
7135. Do you know two chiefs there of the names of Sallafou and
Sarra?--Sallafou is the chief of the Narrow country, and Sarra is the
chief of the Kikandy country.
7136. Did you advise those chiefs to get possession of the goods of any
slave vessel that might come within their reach, and any property that
might be in them?--I think it is very likely that I advised those
chiefs, while I was in their country, to discontinue the European slave
trade and to prohibit slave vessels from coming to their country.
7137. But you did not advise them to seize slave vessels or slave
cargoes?--I advised them to prohibit slave vessels coming to their
country, and not to allow the slave trade.
7138. But you did not advise them to use every means in their power to
get possession of any property belonging to a slave dealer that might
come within their reach?--They could not get possession of any property,
or slave vessel, if they followed my advice of not allowing them to come
to their country to trade for slaves. There was no slave vessel, nor did
I see any factories, in the Nunez, or any signs of the slave trade being
carried on there.
7139. But they could not prevent slave vessels coming into their country
without being in contact with them, and therefore having the means of
seizing them?--Their seizing slave vessels and goods would be an act of
their own. I remember no advice being given them by me, that they were
to lie wait, or endeavour to seize vessels that they supposed to be
engaged in the slave trade, or to seize goods on board those vessels, or
to use any fraudulent means of getting those goods into their
possession.
7140. Then if they have made your advice a pretext for seizing property
in vessels belonging to Frenchmen in their rivers, they have done so
falsely?--They never received any advice or recommendation from me to
seize goods or vessels belonging to the French or any other nation. When
I was in the Nunez there were three English merchants and four French
merchants with me. The origin of my going there was owing to a war
existing between King Sarra and the Nallow chief, which had stopped the
trade of the river. There had also been some outrages committed upon an
English vessel; the captain of one English vessel had been forcibly made
to pay between 60 and 70 dollars, and another English vessel had been
fired on by the natives. I entered into treaties with the chiefs that
French and English property should be respected. The merchants were
present at both interviews with those chiefs, a Foolah chief, with about
100 or 120 Foolahs, who had been sent down from the Foolah country, was
also with me, and assisted in making king Sarra refund 64 dollars which
he had taken from this English captain, which money I delivered to the
Governor of Sierra Leone; and on leaving the river both the English and
French merchants expressed themselves very much satisfied with what I
had done. There was no advice given by me to either of the chiefs but in
the presence of those merchants.
7141. _Chairman._] Did you find, in the course of your cruize,
assistance given to the slave trade by English merchants?--I detained an
English vessel bound to the Gallinas, freighted through the agency of
Messrs. Zulueta, of London, on behalf of Pedro Martinez, of the
Havannah, consigned to some notorious slaving establishment at the
Gallinas.
7142. What was the result?--I sent the vessel to Sierra Leone; she was
tried in the Vice-Admiralty Court, and condemned; the master was also
tried at the sessions at Sierra Leone. The grand jury found a true bill
against him, and I have every reason to believe the petty jury would
have found him guilty, had the Queen’s advocate, who conducted the
prosecution, represented the master as also the owner. But upon the
trial he was tried merely as the master, and the jury acquitted him on
the supposition that the master of a vessel might be ignorant of the
trade in which she was engaged; but he being master and owner, and
having been to the Gallinas on two previous voyages, and delivered
cargoes, consigned in one instance to the notorious Pedro Blanco, and in
another instance to another slave merchant; had this appeared, I have
every reason to believe he would have been convicted. It is my opinion
the house of Zulueta have aided and abetted the slave trade for a number
of years, by acting as agents for slave dealers. There is a case on
record, very nearly similar to this, of the brig Arrogante, which was
sent out to the Havannah, and represented to the English Government by
the English consul at the Havannah.
7143. You mean by the same house?--By the same house.
7144. What is the nature of the interest which the house of Zulueta have
in these transactions?--They appear as agents only.
7145. What is the nature of their agency?--I will state the whole case
of the vessel. I have copies of the principal papers with me in London,
if the Committee should wish to see them. The “Augusta” was originally
the “Goluptichick.” The “Goluptichick” was detained by me off Gallinas
under Russian colours, with a crew composed solely of Spaniards. Her
course of trade for two years had been wholly confined to Spanish ports
and the coast of Africa. I had information of her taking a cargo of
slaves from the coast a few months previously to my capturing her; I
sent her to Sierra Leone, and attempted to try her in the Spanish and
British Mixed Commission Court, under the treaty with Spain. She was
refused to be admitted into the court, being under Russian colours and
papers. I then determined upon sending her to England, being convinced
that this vessel could not be trading lawfully from Russia, Russia
having no colonies to which it was possible she could be carrying
slaves. The vessel was perfectly equipped for the slave trade.
7146. What year was this in?--This was in 1839. The master of the
vessel, rather than be sent to England, told me he would prove that the
vessel was Spanish property, and gave me a certificate to that effect. I
tried a second time to get her into the Mixed Commission Court, and
failed, and then sent her to England. She was detained in England by the
English Government for some time, and I believe given up to the Russian
authorities; but I have received no official information on the subject.
The vessel was sold at Portsmouth to a Mr. Jennings, but by the papers
found on board her this purchase appears to have been effected by
Zulueta & Co. The vessel proceeded to Liverpool, and shipped a cargo
through the agency of Zulueta, on account of P. Martinez, of Havannah,
which cargo was to be delivered at the Gallinas, to three notorious
slave dealers. I found her at the Gallinas, and immediately seized her,
when she was tried, as I have related, at Sierra Leone. An appeal has
been entered before the Privy Council, and is now pending. In the trial
at Sierra Leone the master and owner, Mr. Jennings, did not defend the
vessel, which is an extraordinary thing, because the master and owner of
the vessel, when she was tried before the Vice-Admiralty Court at Sierra
Leone, ought to have defended her.
7147. Mr. _Hamilton_.] Was she equipped for the slave trade the second
time?--No, she was not.
7148. Captain _Fitzroy_.] Who defended her?--She was not defended at
all.
7149. Sir _T. D. Acland_.] This is the second time that she has been
tried at Sierra Leone?--This is the third time. The case of the
Arrogante is very nearly similar; it is to be seen in the Papers laid
before Parliament in 1839 or 1840.
[Adjourned to Wednesday next, at Half-past Twelve o’clock.
_Mercurii, 29º die Junii, 1842._