is increasing. Sir George Collier returned here on the 18th instant from the Island of Ascension, after a passage of 10 days only; he intends to resume his cruize in a few days, but the want of an established Court cramps all exertion in that great cause; and, in defiance of the Laws of their own Country, the traffick in Slaves is carried on under all Colours, but those of Great Britain. I have, &c. The Right Hon. Earl Bathurst, K. G. SIR, C. MCCARTHY. (Inclosure 2.)-Captain Hunn to Governor M'Carthy. H. M. S. Redwing, Sierra Leone, 10th Feb. 1819. I HAVE the honour to acquaint your Excellency, that whilst proceeding in the execution of orders from my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, on the 8th instant, being then in Latitude 7 deg. 56 min. North, and Longitude 16 deg. 30 min. West, I fell in with the French Schooner Sylphe, being 51 days from Bonna, with a Cargo of 368 Slaves, bound to Guadaloupe, 20 of whom have died on the passage. I have, from the decisions of the Congress lately assembled at Aix-la-Chapelle, captured the above Schooner and brought her to this anchorage, in preference to the Cape of Good Hope, the more speedily to set these unfortunate victims of unfeeling and brutal avarice at liberty, to effect which, and the speedy proceeding of His Majesty's Sloop under my command, I have to request your Excellency will be pleased to direct their immediate removal. I have, &c. His Excellency Lieut.-Col. M'Carthy. FREDERICK HUNN. No. 3.-John Barrow, Esq. to William Hamilton, Esq. SIR, Admiralty Office, 8th June, 1819. REAR ADMIRAL PLAMPIN having transmitted to this Office a Letter from Captain Hunn, of His Majesty's Sloop Redwing, giving an account of his having captured the French Schooner La Sylphe, bound from Bonna to Guadaloupe, with a Cargo of Slaves; I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to transmit to you, a Copy of the said Letter, and of the one which, by their Lordships' direction, I have written to the Admiral on this occasion, and to request you will lay the same before Lord Castlereagh, for his Lordship's information. I am, &c. William Hamilton, Esq. SIR, JOHN BARROW. (Inclosure 1.)—Captain Hunn to Rear-Admiral Plampin. H. M: S. Redwing, St. Helena Roads, 17th Mar. 1819. I HAVE the honour to inform you, that on the 9th ultimo, being in Latitude 7 deg. 17 min. North, and Longitude 17 deg. 16 min. West, His Majesty's Sloop under my command fell in with the French Schooner La Sylphe, from Bonna, bound to Guadaloupe, having on board a Cargo of 368 Slaves, which I captured and carried into Sierra Leone, where I delivered the Slaves into his Excellency the Governor's order, and sent the Schooner on to the Cape of Good Hope for trial. I have, &c. FREDERICK HUNN. Rear-Admiral Plampin, Commander-in-Chief, St. Helena. SIR, (Inclosure 2.)-John Barrow, Esq. to Rear-Admiral Plampin. Admiralty Office, 8th June, 1819. HAVING laid before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty your Letter of the 26th of March, No. 18, inclosing a Copy of a Letter from Captain Hunn, of the Redwing, giving an account of his having captured the French Schooner La Sylphe, bound from Bonna to Guadaloupe, with a Cargo of Slaves; I am commanded by their Lordships to express to you their surprise that Captain Hunn should, without orders, and of his own authority, have violated the Flag of a friendly Power, and have captured a Vessel sailing under the Flag of His Majesty's Ally, the Most Christian King; and I am to signify their Lordships' direction to you to call upon the Captain to explain and account for his conduct on this occasion, for which his Letter above alluded to affords no excuse. I am, &c. Rear-Admiral Plampin. JOHN BARROW. No. 4.-Viscount Castlereagh to the Lords of the Admiralty. MY LORDS, Foreign Office, 12th July, 1819. IN reference to your Secretary's Letter of the 8th ultimo, transmitting Copy of Captain Hunn's Report to your Lordships, dated the 17th March, of his having detained and carried into Sierra Leone the French Schooner La Sylphe, bound from Bonna to Guadaloupe, with a Cargo of 368 Slaves on board, which Ship Captain Hunn states, in the same Letter, that he had sent to the Cape of Good Hope for adjudication; I am to signify to your Lordships the Commands of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, that you do give Instructions by the earliest opportunity to the Commanding Officers of His Majesty's Naval Force at Sierra Leone and at the Cape of Good Hope, or elsewhere, if necessary, to take immediate steps for conveying the said French Schooner Sylphe from any Port at which she may be found, together with her Crew and such effects as she may have on board, to the nearest French Port, in order that on her arrival there she may be delivered over to the French Authorities, together with such proofs as may be necessary to enable them to proceed against the Parties who may be found guilty of having violated the Laws of their Country. I have forwarded a Copy of this Letter to the Colonial Department, in order that Earl Bathurst may give such directions to the Civil Officers at the Cape of Good Hope and at Sierra Leone as may be necessary to facilitate the execution of His Royal Highness's Commands; and I request that your Lordships will have the goodness to communicate to me a Copy of your Orders, in order that the same may be transmitted to His Majesty's Ambassador at Paris, for the information of the Government of His Most Christian Majesty. I have the honour, &c. The Lords Comm". of the Admiralty. CASTLEREAGH. P.S.-Copy of the Answer of the Marquis Dessolles to the Communication made to him by Sir C. Stuart, is herewith inclosed for your Lordships' information. (Inclosure.) The Marquis Dessolles to Sir Charles Stuart. MONSIEUR L'Ambassadeur, Paris, le 29 Juin, 1819. J'AI reçu avec la Lettre que votre Excellence m'a fait l'honneur de m'adresser le 15 de ce mois, une Copie de la Dépêche par laquelle le Capitaine Hunn, commandant le Bâtiment Anglais, le Redwing, annonçait à M. le Gouverneur de Sierra Leone la capture du Navire Français, la Sylphe, lequel parait avoir tenté de transporter des Nègres de la Côte d'Afrique à la Guadeloupe. Les assurances et les offres dont votre Excellence a été chargé d'accompagner cette Communication sont, Monsieur l'Ambassadeur, de nature à satisfaire le Gouvernement de Sa Majesté Très Chretienne, qui ne désire pas avec moins d'ardeur que le Gouvernement Britannique l'entière Abolition du Commerce des Noirs. Les mesures qu'il a prises pour arriver à ce but paraissent avoir eu d'heureux résultats, et dernièrement encore il lui a été annoncé qu'un Bâtiment armé à l'Ile de France et faisant, sous Pavillon Anglais, la contrebande des Noirs, a été arrêté par l'ordre du Commandant de l'Ile de Bourbon et remis au Capitaine de la Frégate Anglaise, la Magicienne. Comme il est probable que M. le Gouverneur de Sierra Leone aura jugé convenable de remettre à la disposition des Autorités de l'Etablissement Français le plus voisin, le Navire saisi par M. le Capitaine Hunn, votre Excellence ne soit pas douter que l'armateur et l'équipage de ce Navire ne soyent jugés et punis suivant la rigueur des Lois. J'ai l'honneur d'être, &c. S. E. Le Chevalier Stuart. LE MARQUIS DESSOLLES. No. 5.-John Barrow, Esq. to William Hamilton, Esq. SIR, Officers commanding on the Cape and African Stations, for carrying into effect the pleasure of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, in regard to that Vessel. I am, &c. William Hamilton, Esq. JOHN BARROW. (Inclosure 1.)-John Barrow, Esq. to Rear-Admiral Plampin. SIR, Admiralty Office, 17th July, 1819. IN further reference to your Letter of the 26th of March, No. 18, transmitting a Copy of a Letter from Captain Hunn, of His Majesty's Sloop Redwing, stating that he had captured the French Schooner La Sylphe, bound from Bonna to Guadaloupe, with a Cargo of Slaves; I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to send you a Copy of a Letter which their Lordships have received from Lord Castlereagh, signifying the pleasure of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, that the Schooner should be conveyed from any place at which she may be, with her Crew, and such effects as she may have on board, to the nearest French Port, to be delivered on her arrival there to the French Authorities, with such proofs as may be necessary to enable them to proceed against the Parties who may be found guilty of having violated the Laws of their Country; and I am to signify their Lordships' directions to you, to take the necessary measures, without loss of time, for carrying His Royal Highness's intentions into effect, if the Schooner in question should be at any place within the limits of your command: observing, that she should be sent either to the Isle of Bourbon, or to the nearest French Settlement on the West Coast of Africa, as the Master of the Vessel may prefer. Rear-Admiral Plampin. SIR, I am, &c. JOHN BARROW. (Inclosure 2.)-John Barrow, Esq. to the Senior Officer on the African Station. Admiralty Office, 17th July, 1819. I AM commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to transmit to you a Copy of a Letter which their Lordships have received from Lord Castlereagh, signifying the pleasure of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, that the French Schooner La Sylphe, which was captured in the month of February last, by His Majesty's Sloop Redwing, on her way from Bonna to Guadaloupe with a Cargo of Slaves, should be conveyed from any place at which she may be, with her Crew, and such effects as she may have on board, to the nearest French Port; to be delivered on her arrival there to the French Authorities, with such proofs as may be necessary to enable them to proceed against the Parties who may be found guilty of having violated the Laws of their Country; and I am to signify their Lordships' directions to you, to take the necessary measures, without loss of time, for carrying His Royal Highness's intentions into effect, if the Schooner in question should be at any place within the limits of the African Station. I am, &c. JOHN BARROW. The Senior Officer of H. M. Ships on the Coast of Africa. No. 6.- Rear-Admiral Plampin to J. W. Croker, Esq. SIR, I have directed Captain Moresby, of the Menai, who sailed for the J. W. Croker, Esq. ROBERT PLAMPIN. No. 7.-John Barrow, Esq. to William Hamilton, Esq. SIR, Admiralty Office, 6th January, 1820. IN reference to the Letter from Lord Castlereagh to my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, of the 12th of July last, respecting the French Schooner La Sylphe, captured by Captain Hunn, of His Majesty's Sloop Redwing, with a Cargo of Slaves on board; I am commanded by my Lords to transmit to you, for his Lordship's information, Copies of a Letter, and its Inclosures, received from RearAdmiral Plampin on the subject of that Vessel. William Hamilton, Esq. SIR, I am, &c. (Inclosure 1.)-Rear-Admiral Plampin to J. W. Croker, Esq. H. M. S. Conqueror, St. Helena Roads, 7th Nov. 1819. I HAVE to acquaint you, for their Lordships' information, that by a Letter from Captain Moresby, dated the 21st ultimo, he arrived the preceding evening at Simon's Bay, where he found the Redwing; that the Nautilus was then at Algoa Bay, but he should send my orders by land to Captain Chapman, to return immediately to Simon's Bay and take in stock for the Squadron, so that I expect to see him in the course of a week or ten days. Captain Moresby informs me, that |