Page:The History of Slavery and the Slave Trade.djvu/366

CHAPTER XIX.

Operations of the Cruisers under the Ashburton Treaty.

The American Squadrons from 1847 to 1851. — More captures. — U. S. brig Perry — cruises off the southern coast. — Capture of a slaver with 800 slaves, by an English cruiser. — Abuses of the American flag. — The Lucy Ann captured. — Case of the Navarre. — Capture by the Perry of the Martha of New York — her condemnation. — Case of the Chatsworth — of the Louisa Beaton. — The Chatsworth seized and sent to Baltimore — is condemned as a slaver. — State of the slave-trade on the southern coast. — Importance of the squadron. — The Brazilian slave-trade diminishes.

We now return to the operations of the American cruisers. In 1847, the sloop-of-war Jamestown proceeded to the African station, under Commodore Bolton, and the frigate United States was relieved The year following, the commodore was relieved by the Yorktown, Commodore Cooper. In 1849, the squadron was assigned to Commodore Gregory, and consisted of the sloops-ofwar Portsmouth, John Adams, Dale, Yorktown, and the brigs Bainbridge, Porpoise and Perry. Three or four slavers were captured, and the entire coast closely watched.

In 1851, the Germantown, Commodore Lavalette, relieved Commodore Gregory. He made an active cruise for two years, when the frigate Constitution, Commodore Mayo, arrived to take command of the squadron, consisting of the sloops-of-war Marion and Dale and the brig Perry.

Of these squadrons, that of 1850 and 1851 contributed largely toward suppressing the trade and the abuses of the American flag. The efficient commander of the Perry, Andrew H. Foote, in his work entitled "Africa and the American Flag," published in 1854, has given the results of his cruising operations on the southern coast, a region seldom before visited by American cruisers. We are also indebted to his work for reliable information in regard to Liberia, the Maryland Colony, and other subjects connected with Africa.

The object of the cruise was "to protect the lawful commerce of the United States, and to prevent the flag and citizens thereof from being engaged in the slave-trade, to carry out in good faith the treaty stipulations with England, and to act in concert with British cruisers, so far as instructions permitted."

Information was received at Benguela, that five days previous to the arrival of the Perry, an English cruiser had captured, near this place, a brig, with eight hundred slaves on board. In this case, it appeared that the vessel came from Rio de Janeiro, under American colors and papers, with an American captain and crew; and had been, when on the coast, transferred to a Brazilian captain and crew, the Americans having gone on shore with the papers. The captured slaver was sent to the island of St. Helena for adjudication.

After remaining three days at Benguela, where neither fresh water nor provisions could be procured, the Perry weighed anchor and ran down the coast, examining all intermediate points and boarding several vessels during the