RETURN to an Address of the Honourable the House of Commons, dated July 26, 1861;

for

"A Copy of Despatches relating to the taking of Porto Novo, on the West Coast of Africa."

(Extract.)

No. 1.

Consul Foote to Lord J. Russell.-(Received April 10.)

Lagos, March 8, 1861. I HAVE the honour to report to your Lordship the particulars of an expedition which I have been compelled to make against the King and Chiefs of Porto Novo.

In consequence of repeated complaints which had been brought to this Consulate from time to time during the time of my predecessors, and a late seizure of some palm oil belonging to a British subject, by the King of Porto Novo, I therefore on the 5th February sent a special messenger to the King of Porto Novo with a despatch, of which Inclosure No. 1 is a copy.

I also on the 6th sent a despatch, of which Inclosure 2 is a copy, to the Senior Naval Officer of the Bights, advising him of my intentions, and requesting him to inform me what force he could detail to assist me should the answer of the King of Porto Novo not be satisfactory. In answer, he sent me a despatch, of which Inclosure No. 4 is a copy.

The answer from the King of Porto Novo, of which Inclosure No. 3 is a copy, not being satisfactory, I notified to the Senior Naval Officer my intentions to proceed at once to Porto Novo, and requested him to send as many white men as he could spare.

On the 21st of February a detachment of seventeen seamen and Marines and the Gunner were sent on board the "Brune" by Commander Wratislaw, and on the 23rd, at 11:30 A. M., we steamed up Badagry Creek. At 4 P. M. we anchored a little above Beechy to take in wood, and stayed there all night. At 6 A. M. next day we weighed, and arrived at Badagry at 11.50 A.M. We only remained a few minutes at that place, and steamed on to Porto Novo, where we arrived at 5 P. M. We were thus only fourteen hours and fifty minutes actual steaming on the way, and so secretly were my plans arranged and carried out, that the King of Porto Novo had not had time to prepare any large force to resist us.

Shortly after we anchored, a messenger from the King came on board to welcome me. I immediately put a despatch for the King, of which Inclosure No. 5 is a copy, into the messenger's hands, and sent him on shore.

Shortly afterwards the King's messenger returned, informing me that the King could neither come off to the ship to-morrow, nor comply with my demands, but was most willing to receive me on shore to hold a palaver.

I then finally informed the messenger that I would not waver in my demands, and should they not be complied with, that I would request the Commander to fire upon the town at 11 A.M. precisely.

During the night we dropped down the creek some three miles, and anchored. Knowing the treachery of these people I requested the Commander to do so, and, as it happened, it was a most fortunate thing, as next day, upon steaming up to our former anchorage, we observed that some guns had been placed in position during the night, and trained direct for the "Brune." I was afterwards informed that numbers of war canoes had been brought up by small creeks opposite the steamer, with the intention of boarding us during the night.

At 11 A.M. on the 25th, a coloured man, a half missionary and half trader, came on board, and pointed to some white flags, saying that the King would come on board if we waited a little. We did so until 1.20 P.M., when, happening to observe a suspicious movement on shore, and people evidently throwing up earthworks, I ordered a shot to be fired over the town at extreme elevation.

Almost simultaneously with the discharge of our gun, a hot fire commenced upon us from the low grassy bank running parallel with the ship.

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The marines and scamen of the "Ranger" now commenced with their Enfield rifles, and soon stretched several of the natives on the beach, and in a short time I am convinced we should have silenced the fire along the whole line, when, unfortunately, a number of Lagos trading-canoes came alongside, chased by some war-canoes. The Lagos men scrambled on board for protection; the marines mistaking them for the enemy fired upon them, and cast several into the river again. The kroomen of the "Brune" now became confused and useless, but fortunately the steadiness and great coolness of the officers of the "Brune." and of the seamen and marines, rendered it an easy task to put matters to-rights. We pointed out the war-canoes to the marines and seamen, when in an instant they were seen floating away, tenantless, astern.

The decks being also clear of the Lagos men, the marines and seamen commenced firing again on the soldiers ashore, until some 500 rounds of rifle cartridges were expended, when it was suggested that we might use the rockets to advantage. The wind was

blowing favourably, and we could have destroyed the whole of the city in a very short time, the thatch of the houses being entirely of palm-leaf; but upon due consideration, and remembering that at least one-half of the population were friendly, and that our object was to obtain important concessions from the King, in addition to other demands, I objected to using the rockets. By firing the city we should have destroyed the property of those favourable to us as well as that of our enemies; I therefore, and particularly as we had killed several of the Porto Novo troops without suffering a single casualty ourselves, requested the Commander to cease firing, and proceed to Badagry, convoy the Lagos canoes to some place of safety, and await at Badagry the result of our bombard

ment.

I felt convinced that the King of Porto Novo, having seen what injury we could do him, would lose no time in asking for peace.

My surmises were borne out next day, for a message had been sent during the night from the King of Porto Novo to the Chiefs of Badagry, urging them to visit me on board the "Brune," and beg me to make peace, and offering to comply with my terms.

I answered that I would await a messenger from the King at Lagos, and that I would give the King of Porto Novo three weeks to comply with my demands.

In the meantime the old and well-known slave-dealers of Badagry and Porto Novo, Jambo, Faustino Herpin, Ignacio de Souza Magalhaes and others, all Brazilians and Portuguese, finding that their nest had been destroyed, and that the King had made overtures which would be the means of putting an end to their trading in slaves, endeavoured to induce the English merchants at Badagry to sign a document in condemnation of my proceedings; but the English merchants had the good sense to withdraw from them, and although apprehensive that their trade would be stopped for a short time, they assured me that I had a very good excuse for routing out the slave-dealers, and that, in the end, it would be most beneficial for our trade.

The slave-dealers then protested against my proceedings, on the ground that English goods, entrusted to them by English merchants, were placed in danger.

In my message sent to the King of Porto Novo through the Badagry Chiefs, I said that I should consider the King's immediately allowing the traders to continue their business as the first sign of the King's desire to comply with my demands.

Upon receipt of this message, the King of Porto Novo instantly allowed the trade to go on, and I have heard that the property of the slave-dealers has been properly taken care of that nothing has been injured; so the protests are unnecessary, and are merely a little bit of vengeance upon the part of the slave-dealers.

I have been informed by several different Lagos men, who escaped from Porto Novo, that they observed small gangs of chained slaves in the houses of the slave-dealers, and that during the action these managed to escape. This is the only property lost to the slave-dealers during the bombardment, a fact which can be certified by the King and Chiefs of Porto Novo themselves.

Upon the requisition of the merchants, we remained at Badagry during the whole of the 26th, and till 2:20 P.M. of the 27th, when, having received information from Porto Novo that trade was open again, and the river safe, I assured the merchants that they had nothing to fear, and we proceeded on to Lagos.

At Badagry we communicated with Her Majesty's ship "Ranger," the Commander having agreed with me to go off that place and await my return from Porto Novo. Captain Wratislaw also visited Badagry, and communicated with the merchants. We arrived at Lagos at 1.50 P.M. on the 28th.

On the 4th instant the Chiefs of Badagry arrived at this Consulate, accompanied by Mr. Thomas Tickel, Her Majesty's Acting Vice-Consul at Badagry and Porto Novo. They were the bearers of the following message from the King of Porto Novo, viz. :—

1. That the King wishes peace, and will comply with the demands of Her Majesty's Consul.

2. That the King of Porto Novo will banish from his town any slave-dealer or any Portuguese whom the Consul may point out.

3. That the King wishes to be upon most friendly terms with the English, and will prove it in any way the Consul points out.

4. That the King is very much pleased to hear that the Consul has appointed Mr. Thomas Tickel as Vice-Consul, as the King knows him, and they can speak mouth to mouth, as Mr. Tickel speaks his language.

Immediately after the Chiefs had finished their palaver, I drew out some Additional Articles to our Treaty of January 17, 1852 (of which Inclosure No. 6 is a copy), which will, I trust, meet with your Lordship's approval; and I also made out similar Articles for the Badagry Chiefs. The latter have proved to me beyond a doubt that the so-called Treaty with Badagry of March 18, 1852, was not signed by any legitimate Chief. The two names attached to the said Treaty are Mewu, a rebel and an outcast, and Alapa, the King of a small district situated back from Badagry. I have therefore sent a copy of the Treaty, together with the Additional Articles, to be signed by the right Chiefs.

One of the considerations which induced me to act with such promptness, was the fact that the King of Dahomey had prepared to march upon Abbeokufa. Porto Novo and Whydah being his two principal slave-depôts (the King of Porto Novo being, in a measure, subject to his influence), I immediately thought I could produce a diversion in favour of Abbeokuta by attacking a populous and important city so near his capital; and a few days ago Ogobono, an Abbeokutan General, sent a private messenger to me, informing me that the news of my attack on Porto Novo had reached him, and that it had a most reassuring effect, as they knew it would disturb the calculations of the King of Dahomey.

There is now nothing left for me, my Lord, but to express how much I have been assisted by the officer and men sent so promptly by Captain Wratislaw, as well as his forethought in anchoring at Badagry in order to assist us in the event of a reverse.

I have also particularly to mention the coolness of Lieutenant Stokes, the Commander of the "Brune." He had a double duty to perform; he conned the vessel and gave his orders from the bridge at one and the same time.

I must also particularly mention the coolness and determination of Mr. Love, the Master's Assistant. He worked our solitary broadside gun, and I could not help remarking his exertions to encourage the Kroomen when they became confused.

At the same time, when the wounded Lagos men were placed on board, I observed the Assistant Surgeon, Dr. Hughes, performing his operations as calmly as if his patients, were laid out in his dispensary.

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

Consul Foote to the King of Porto Novo.

Lagos, February 5, 1861.

THE British Consul presents his compliments to the King of Porto Novo.

The British Consul has been told that certain evil-disposed persons calling themselves Portuguese have endeavoured to influence the King and Chiefs of Porto Novo in their treatment of English and other foreign traders, and attempting to direct the King and Chiefs in matters of trade which would be injurious to the interests of the English and other foreigners.

Now, the Undersigned makes known to the King and Chiefs that he will not permit any favour to be shown to any foreign trader which is not equally enjoyed by the English trader; and if the King or Chiefs listen to these evil advisers, the Consul will so soon as he hears of it not only hold the King and Chiefs responsible for their acts, but also take instant measures to banish any Portuguese or other person who conspires to injure the trade of the British merchants.

The Consul sends this only as a warning, and hopes the information he has received has been exaggerated.

The Consul wishes the King health and happiness. (Signed)

HENRY GRANT FOOTE.

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

Consul Foote to Commander Wratislaw.

Lagos, February 6, 1861.

Sir, IN consequence of information I have received from Porto Novo, I fear I shall be under the necessity of proceeding in Her Majesty's ship "Brune" to that place, in order to punish the King and the Chiefs for repeated acts of aggression against British and other traders resident at Badagry and at Lagos.

You may not be, probably, aware that Porto Novo has ever been a depôt of slaves, that the only foreigners suffered to form establishments there by the King and Chiefs are natives of Brazil, who are all more or less interested in the Slave Trade, and that these Brazilians, by means of presents, have obtained such an influence over the King and Chiefs that, although not personally appearing at the Councils of the Chiefs, they so far influence them as to induce them to obstruct the legitimate trade of the British and others to such a degree that, notwithstanding our Treaty with them of January 1852, they manage, by threats of poisoning and other means, to prevent the settlement at that place of any British factory or trading establishment.

At the same time it is well known that at the trading establishments of these Brazilians parties of slaves are constantly kept nominally to be employed at the Brazilian factories, but actually in order that they may be collected in gangs and shipped from one of the small ports between Badagry and Aghwey.

It was in this manner that the cargo was completed for the " City of Norfolk." Of late, however, the cruizers have been so active that the Brazilians have not had a chance of shipping; they have, therefore, devoted their attention to the more complete withdrawal of British traders from their stronghold, and, as I have been informed, have suggested to the Chiefs the propriety of shutting out the people of Lagos from the palm-oil trade.

The Chiefs assembled a few days ago, and the result was the stoppage of some puncheons of oil belonging to a British subject which were on their way to Lagos.

Yesterday the owner of the oil reported the circumstance to me, and I accordingly at once sent a messenger to the King of Porto Novo informing him that I would lose no time in proceeding in the "Brune" to that place in order to punish them severely if the oil trade was not opened again at once.

In the event of their non-compliance, I am fully determined to destroy the place, thus giving a lesson to these people which they will not easily forget, and at the same time routing out a nest of the most determined slave-dealers, as well as enemies to legitimate trade, we have on the West Coast.

I now merely wish, in transmitting this information to you, to know what force you can detail for this duty, and what co-operation I can expect from you.

I do not expect any resistance; but at the same time I must not expose the expedition to failure.

One bold stroke given at the right moment, and justified by a decided act of aggression, will have more influence in putting down the detestable Traffic than any addition we can make to the number of our cruizers.

Finally, the season being healthy and dry, we should not delay longer than is actually

necessary.

I now only await the return of my messenger from the King, when if my demand that this stoppage of the oil should be withdrawn is not complied with, I shall at once call upon you for an addition to our force, and proceed to Porto Novo for the purpose above specified. I have, &c. (Signed)

HENRY GRANT FOOTE.

Inclosure 3 in No. 1.

The King of Porto Novo to Consul Foote.

Porto Novo, February 10, 1861.

Sir, THE King of Porto Novo presents his compliments to you and wishing you well; your letter together with staff have safely reached me on the 8th ultimo, for which I am obliged. In reply I have to inform you, Sir, that I never listen to the advice of any of the Portuguese or any person, as I had sufficient knowledge to govern my country.

Sir, respecting the British merchants' or traders' oil they informed you that I have

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