extensive inland Navigation. Bereby is important on account of the large quantity of ivory brought from the Interior; there is also excellent anchorage close in shore, and good and protected landing for boats, in the roughest weather. From St. Andrews to Appollonia the Country is rich in the productions of the soil, but it might be rendered ten times more so, by cultivating a more intimate and friendly connexion with the Inhabitants. The Cape Lahoo, Grand Bassa, and Assignee Rivers, facilitate the communication of the Traders with remote Countries in the Interior, even to those on the banks of the Niger, from whence they bring large quantities of gold and ivory; and, if encouraged, many other productions of the Interior would find their way to the Coast. This part of the Coast is particularly worthy of attention, from its being the entrepôt of the whole of those Countries which constituted the Western Provinces of the Ashantee Empire, but which, by the defeat of the King of Ashantee by the Bontoohoos last year, are now become independent of that Government.

I have thus laid before you what I know of the present state of the Slave-trade, and as far as my information enabled me, answered your enquiries. If I have introduced any observations which you may consider tedious and inapplicable, or offered opinions that may be deemed impertinent, I beg you will attribute them to the ardent desire that I feel to give every information on the subject, to those who have the means to recommend with effect, whatever measures may be most conducive to the amelioration and civilization of the African People, and consequently beneficial to our Country.

I conclude with assuring you, that I shall feel happy in endeavouring to procure you whatever information I can, regarding any points with which you may be pleased to signify your desire to be acquainted I shall sail for the leeward Coast in the course of next week.

(Inclosures 3, 4 and 5, are the Sierra Leone Gazettes; of March 3d and 24th, and April 14th, 1821.)

No. 77.-Messrs. Gregory and Fitzgerald to Viscount Castlereagh. (Received July 27.)

MY LORD,

Sierra Leone, 16th April, 1821We have the honour to acquaint your Lordship, that on the 9th instant, Don Francisco Lefer, His Catholick Majesty's Commissary Judge, addressed a Letter to the Acting Registrar of the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, signifying his intention to quit Sierra Leone, for the purpose of residing at the French Settlement at Goree, during the continuance of the next rainy season; but that he would be ready, should the service of his Sovereign require him to return to this Colony, on notice being given to him by the Acting Registrar.

The Acting Registrar having laid before us this Letter of Don Francisco Lefer, we thought it to be our duty, since we could not interfere with that Gentleman's departure, to represent to him, through the Acting Registrar, that we conceived that, if occasion should arise in his absence, it would not be consistent with our duty to defer the proceedings necessary to the fulfilment of those provisions of the Treaty of the 23d September 1817, which so strictly enjoin the most prompt measures for the adjudication of detained Vessels; and that he must be perfectly sensible that we had not any means of giving rapid conveyance to Communications to or from Sierra Leone. To this representation Don Francisco Lefer replied, through the Acting Registrar, that he was convinced that the frequent and speedy communication between this Colony and Goree, by the way of St. Mary's, would at any time permit him to arrive here before the expiration of the 2 months granted by the Treaty, and that therefore he formally protested against any proceedings that we might undertake in his absence. In our answer, communicated through the Acting Registrar, to Don Francisco Lefer, we confined ourselves to say, that whilst we presumed not to interfere in any way with his sense of his duty, we must act according to our own sense of our duty, in such matters of business as might arise in the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission.

We have the honour to inclose Copies of the Communications alluded to; being a Copy of Don Francisco Lefer's Letter of the 9th instant, a Copy of our Letter of representation of the 11th instant, a Copy of his Letter of the 12th instant, replying to our representations, and a Copy of our Letter of the 13th instant, all addressed to the Acting Registrar.

We understand that Don Francisco Lefer will embark to-morrow in the Gambia Packet, which sails for His Majesty's Settlement in the river Gambia, or of St. Mary; from that Settlement he will proceed to Goree. The intimation given on our part to Don Francisco Lefer was not expressed in the absolute and unqualified intention to take proceedings to the extent of final adjudication, in every Case which may be brought into the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission during his absence; the intention was, not to allow his departure to deprive us of the right of fulfilling, as far as our best discretion shall direct, under the circumstances which may arise, the provisions of the Treaty, and the obligations of justice towards all Parties concerned.

The French Settlement at Goree, being situated nearly at a distance of 600 miles from the Colony, and the only regular means of communication with the neighbouring British Settlement of Bathurst, St. Mary's, being by the Gambia Packet, which arrives here once in 4, 5, or 6 weeks, it would obviously be quite uncertain in what time Don Francisco Lefer might arrive, upon a Letter sent him to Bathurst, St. Mary's, subject to all the hazards of indefinite delay and uncertain

conveyance after arrival at that place. We should in the interval, have to encounter all the well-founded complaints and remonstrances, not of Captors only, but possibly also of Claimants, who are equally anxious and interested in a speedy decision.

We trust that our view of our duty in these contingencies will meet your Lordship's approbation. We have, &c.

Viscount Castlereagh, K. G.

E. GREGORY:

EDWARD FITZGERALD.

(Inclosure 1.)-The Spanish Commissary Judge to the Acting Registrar. Free Town, Sierra Leone, 9th April, 1821.

THE Undersigned, His Catholick Majesty's Commissary Judge, presents his compliments to the Registrar of the Mixed Commission, and requests he will inform the Members of the same Commission, that the opinion of the Doctors he has consulted, being, that the bad state of his health does not allow him to remain in this Colony during the next rainy season, without danger for his life, he determines going to Gambia, and from thence to Goree, to re-establish his health, and reside there during the next rainy season.

The Undersigned will at any time be ready to return to this Colony, whenever the service of his Sovereign may require his presence, on the Registrar's shortest notice. The Undersigned, &c. James Woods, Esq.

FRANCISCO LEFER.

(Inclosure 2.)-The British Commissioners to the Acting Registrar. Sierra Leone, 11th April, 1821.

SIR,

We request that you will inform Don Francisco Lefer, His Catholick Majesty's Commissary Judge, that you have laid before us the Note which he addressed to you on the 9th instant, communicating his intention to depart from Sierra Leone, and you will express to him our regret that his departure will altogether deprive the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission of a Representative on the part of Spain.

With reference to the concluding part of the Note of His Catholick Majesty's Commissary Judge, wherein he observes, that "he will at any time be ready to return to this Colony, whenever the service of his Sovereign may require his presence, on the Registrar's shortest notice," we have to request that you will represent to Don Francisco Lefer, that His Britannick Majesty's Commissioners conceive, that if occasion should arise in his absence, it would not be consistent with their duty to defer the proceedings necessary to the fulfilment of those provisions of the Treaty of the 23d September 1817, which so strictly enjoin the most prompt measures for the adjudication of detained Vessels. It is possible that other matters of business, also, may demand immediate attention, and Don Francisco Lefer must be already perfectly sensible

that the British Commissioners have not any means of giving rapid conveyance to communications to or from Sierra Leone.

We are, &c.

James Woods, Esq.

E. GREGORY.

EDWARD FITZGERALD.

(Inclosure 3.)—The Spanish Commissary Judge to the Acting Registrar. Free Town, Sierra Leone, 12th April, 1821.

THE Undersigned, His Catholick Majesty's Commissary Judge, has received the Registrar's Note of the 11th instant, in answer to his of the 9th instant.

In Answer to the said Registrar's Note, the Undersigned requests he will acquaint His Britannick Majesty's Commissioners, that the Undersigned had long ago communicated to his Court his intention to return to Europe, on account of the decaying state of his health, and was ready to put it into execution, when he was informed of the sudden and unexpected departure of His Catholick Majesty's Arbitrator for Europe.

The Undersigned, not to deprive at once the Spanish and British Mixed Commission of all the Representatives on the part of Spain, thought it his duty to remain at his post as long as the bad state of his health should permit.

The Undersigned, by remaining in this Colony the next rainy season, would expose himself to illness and perhaps to death, without any utility to his Sovereign: while, on the contrary, going to Goree, to breathe a more pure and more healthy air, he may hope to re-establish his health, and be able to co-operate in the proceedings of the Commission, in the case (very doubtful) of being wanted.

The Undersigned, by deferring his return to Europe, to re-establish his health, and going to Goree, to try to remain at his post as long as possible, gives a new and evident proof of his wishes to do his duty, and of his zeal for the accomplishment of the intention of his Government.

With reference to the representation which the Registrar has been directed by His Britannick Majesty's Commissioners to make to the Undersigned, respecting the concluding part of his Note of the 9th instant," that the Undersigned will at any time be ready to return to this Colony, when the service of his Sovereign might require his presence, on the Registrar's shortest Notice," the Undersigned, far from being of His Britannick Majesty's Commissioners opinion, that, "if occasion should arise in the Undersigned's absence, it would not be consistent with their duty to defer the proceedings necessary to the fulfilment of those provisions of the Treaty of the 23d September, 1817, which so strictly enjoin the most prompt measures for the Adjudication of detained Vessels," the Undersigned is convinced, that the frequent and speedy communication between this Colony and Goree

(by St. Mary) will at any time permit him to arrive here before the expiration of the two months granted by same Treaty, "in the case of absence of witnesses, (and much more so in the case of absence of a Judge, the Undersigned believes) or for want of other proofs;" consequently the Undersigued, in any case that His Britannick Majesty's Commissioners should determine not to call him to co-operate with them, in any matters of business concerning his Government, thinks it is his duty to protest formally by this present, against all pro ceedings of His Britannick Majesty's Commissioners without his being present.

The Undersigned requests that the Registrar will communicate this Note to His Britannick Majesty's Commissioners, inscribe it in the Registry, and let the Undersigned have immediately, a Copy of it, and of his Note of the 9th instant, both certified by the Registrar, and with the Seal of the Mixed Commission. The Undersigned, &c. James Woods, Esq. FRANCISCO LEFER.

(Inclosure 4.)-The British Commissioners to the Acting Registrar. SIR, Sierra Leone, 13th April, 1821. WE request that you will inform His Catholick Majesty's Commissary Judge, that you have laid before His Britannick Majesty's Commissioners, his Note to you of yesterday's date, and that you are directed by them to say, in answer to the concluding part of the same, that while they presume not to interfere in any way with Don Francisco Lefer's sense of his duty, under the present circumstances of his health, which they sincerely regret, they must act according to their own sense of their duty, in such matters of business as may arise in the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, during his absence.

James Woods, Esq.

We are, &c. E. GREGORY.

EDWARD FITZGERALD.

No. 78.-Messrs. Gregory and Fitzgerald to Viscount Castlereagh.-— (Received September 10.)

(Extract.)

Sierra Leone, 5th June, 1821. On the 17th ultimo, the Portuguese Ship Donna Eugenia, Manoel Jozé Silveira Master, captured on the 24th March last, in the river Bonny, lat. 4 deg. 26 min. North, by boats from His Majesty's Ship Tartar, Commodore Sir George Collier, and from His Majesty's Brig Thistle, Lieutenant Hagan, arrived in this harbour; and on the 19th she was condemned as prize, by the British and Portuguese Court of Mixed Commission. For the information of your Lordship we have the honour to inclose an Abstract of her Case.

Viscount Castlereagh, K.G.

E. GREGORY.

EDWARD FITZGERALD.