CORRESPONDENCE
relative to the
SLAVE TRADE
at the
GALLINAS
presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty

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SCHEDULE.
FROM GOVERNOR DOHERTY AND SIR JOHN JEREMIE.

1. Governor Doherty to Lord John Russell.
Date: 1940, Dec. 7
Transmitting Copies of Correspondence with Commander Denman, relative to the Blockade of the Gallinas, and destruction of the Slave Factories in that River - 5 enclosures.

2. Governor Sir J. Jeremie to Lord John Russell.
Date: 1941, Jan. 14
Respecting the extensive Slave Traffic carried on in the neighbourhood of Sierra Leone - 1 enclosure.

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COPIES or EXTRACTS of Correspondence relative to the Slave Trade at the Gallinas.

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From Governor Doherty and Sir John Jeremie.

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(No. 67.)

No. 1.
Copy of a DESPATCH from Governor Doherty to Lord John Russell.

My Lord,

A complaint was addressed to me some time in September last, by a native chief on the Gallinas, on the subject of a strict blockade of that river, which has now for a considerable period been maintained by Her Majesty's squadron on the Sierra Leone station; and it happened that in the succeeding month I received information of the detention in slavery by a son of the same chief of two of Her Majesty's subjects of this colony, a woman and child, who had been seized and detained for a pretended debt.
So soon therefore as an opportunity presented itself of communicating with King Siacca, the chief in question, and with the senior naval officer on the station, the honourable Commander Denman, who was himself conducting the blockade of the river, I addressed a reply to the former, in which, while I answered his remonstrance, I called upon him to order the immediate surrender of The Queen's subjects detained in captivity to Her Majesty's ships; and I made a requisition at the same time on Commander Denman for the assistance, if it should be necessary, of the naval force under his command to effect this object.
On receipt of this communication, covering my reply for the chief, Commander Denman being unable, as I had requested him, to forward that letter from his ship with any certainty of its escaping the hands of the Spanish slave-traders on shore and reaching those of King Siacca, and he himself at the same time having to complain of much insolence and annoyance, which the vessels and boats under his command had suffered during the blockade from the influence exercised by those intruders, he determined to avail himself of the opportunity to demand reparation for those injuries from the chief and his people.
He accordingly passed the bar of the river with the boats of Her Majesty's sloop "Wanderer," under his command, and the rest of the force at his disposal: and, after some correspondence and delay, not only procured the surrender by King Siacca of the Siena Leone woman and child, but concluded an agreement with that chief in the name of Her Majesty, by which, in consideration of the injury done him and the danger into which he had been brought as sovereign of the country by the unfriendly and insolent proceedings which the Spanish slave-traders had permitted themselves to adopt within his territory towards the power of England, King Siacca consented to the total destruction of the slave factories of those strangers, and the delivery to Commander Denman for location in this colony of all the slaves imprisoned in them, with all the chains, shackles, and bar iron employed in chaining these persons and forging their chains, and whatever boats and canoes were made use of for the porpose of their embarkation in slave-ships. In execution of this compact not fewer than eight large slave establishments were burnt and rased to the ground during five days, and their slaves, to the number of 841 persons, received on board the Queen's ships and conveyed to the colony, where l immediately received them, as has been customary in such cases, into the Liberated African Department, there to remain in location until the pleasure of Her Majesty's Government shall be known.
In the accompanying documents your Lordship will find complete details of all these proceedings, from the first remonstrance of King Siacca and the information received by me of the detention of the Sierra Leone captives by his son, to the embarkation for the colony on board Commander Denman's vessels, of the liberated slaves.
It is not necessary that I should make much comment on the transactions thus detailed. One opinion only, as it appears to me, can be entertained respecting the decisive measures adopted by Commander Denman; nor does it seem possible, in any view of the subject, to estimate too highly the service which that very intelligent and active officer has rendered by them to the cause of the suppression. The traffic has undoubtedly sustained a greater blow by what has been now done on shore, than it has received during my administration of this Government by any of the numerous and important captures which have been effected at sea. Gallinas was the most celebrated mart and stronghold of Spanish slave trade on the whole line of the African coast. As such it had long maintained itself in insolent defiance of this colony, its immediate neighbour; and as such it may be said, for the present, to have ceased to exist. That remains of the traffic are still left in this river, and that this deplorable commerce will revive on its shores after a time, and after the present blockade shall have been discontinued, is indeed true. But in the mean time the blockade is persevered in with the same vigilance as before; and, while the actual material benefit that has been achieved is very great, it has been attended with a moral consequence still more considerable and important. The novelty of the proceeding itself, and the thorough determination it has evinced on the part of the cruizing squadron, cannot fail to have excited in the Spanish slave-dealers a new feeling of insecurity, and to have produced a deep discouragement in their minds which will speedily extend to the Havana. As Commander Denman has justly remarked, all confidence in the river itself between the Spaniards and the natives must be destroyed; and such is the present feeling against the former, that many of them sought the protection of the British flag on board the Wanderer, and were brought here in a state of the same destitution and misery in which they are commonly landed from captured slave ships, so that it became necessary for me to place them on the rations of the commissariat as if they had been so landed.

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Enclosure 1, in No. 1.

(copy)

To his Excellency Richard Doherty, Governor of Sierra Leone, &c. &c. &c.

Honoured Sir,

I, King Siacca, King of the Gallinas, conjoined with the principals of my subjects, viz., the honourable family of the Rogers, beg to address your honourable Court with these few lines, which we hope will come safe to hand.
We have thought it proper to represent to your honourable Court the sudden blockade our port is present under by Her Britannic Majesty's ships of war; a thing which we have never seen or heard of, or even our ancestors before us. Our port has been and still is a free port to all European powers. By flying reports we are made to understand that this blockade of our port is on amount of Spanish vessels visiting our port. If so has been the cause of this blockade, we beg to inform your honourable Court that this country, and also the port, don't belong to the Spaniards, and for us to be made sufferers because the Spaniards visit our port we think it hard and unreasonable. Since Her Majesty's ships of war have blockaded our port all our former correspondence with the Sherbro and Plantain Islands has been entirely cut off; and for a proof several of our boats and canoes have been fired upon by Her Majesty's ships of war, and several taken with cargoes of rice taken out and sent empty into port; this has alarmed us, and seeing that it is no friendly act, we have thought it proper to represent these complaints to your honourable Court, which we hope will duly be looked into and proper redress made for it. We likewise beg to inform your honourable Court, that the Sherbro and Plantain Islands are ports we always correspond with, as our whole subsistence of rice come from there ports, and to hinder our canoes and boats from going to those ports will cause a famine in our country; we therefore desire your Court to take it in consideration, and take this hidden blockade of our port, as it is greatly distressing our country.
If it is on account of the Spanish vessels resorting to this port that this blockade is put on our port, we beg to inform your honourable Court to let that matter take its course, as the laws of all nations, natural in a cause, that is, for the enemy to be taken in three leagues of the land, and no nearer. We, therefore, honoured Sirs, think it just this blockade ought to be taken off our port, which is materially injuring our country, and will shortly bring our country to a famine. We, therefore, think if ought to be allowed the same lenity as other countries have, although we are Africans, viz., for your ships of war to take up their anchor out of our port and to take these law-breakers three leagues from the land, and no nearer.
Another thing we beg to represent to your honourable Court respecting an American brig which landed her cargo here in the Gallinas, Mr. S. Rogers, one of the principals of this country; sent two of his nephews on board of the American brig, in charge of the captain, by name Alexander Harmer, brig's name Eliza Davison; this same brig was taken on suspicion, and carried into Sierra Leone, where she was condemned; Mr. J. Billerby made application to the Court for these young boys, but they were not delivered to him. I, King Siacca, therefore think proper to demand these two young boys as my subjects, that I may return them to their relations. We hope our applications and complaints will be seriously looked into by your honourable Court, and request a direct answer from your Court.

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Enclosure 2 in No. 1.

(Copy)

Sir,

I Have the honour to report to your Excellency that I have this day received information that a liberated African girl, named Fry, belonging to this colony, is held in confinement in chains at the Galllinas; the circumstances under which she has been deprived of her liberty are as follows.
Fiy was formerly an apprentice to Mrs. John Grey, of Freetown. On the completion of the term of her apprenticeship she went to the Sherbro, and gained a livelihood there as a washerwoman. Among other residents who in the Sherbro employed Fry in that capacity, there was a Mr. Lewis, who is at present in this colony. This person, it appears, lately had occasion to go from the Sherbro to the Gallinas, and in his absence a report became current at the Sherbro that he was about to depart for the West Indies. As he was at that time considerably in debt to Fry, she followed him to the Gallinas for the purpose of recovering her money. On her arrival there she was recognised by a Mr. Manna (the son of King Siacca) as having been formerly a servant of Mrs. John Grey, of Freetown, against whom he averred he had a claim. He therefore seized Fry, and placed her in confinement as a surety for payment. This nefarious proceeding of Mr. Manna was remonstrated against by some Europeans, resident at factories near to the Gallinas, but ineffectually; that person having refused to liberate Fry unless a ransom of 300 dollars was paid him.
Fry is a liberated African, and it appears had with her an infant, her own child bom in this colony.
The persons (two in number) from whom I have received this information have considerable commercial property in the neighbourhoods of the Sherbro and the Gallinas, and are therefore desirous that their names should not be made public, as being parties concerned in giving information in the matter. I have conversed on the subject with both of them privately; and without the knowledge of each other their statements are mutually corroborative, and I have considered it my duty to transmit them for your Excellency's information.


His Excellency Governor Doherty,
&c. &c. &c.

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(copy)

Respected Mother, Rosamia Gray,

I hope when you receive this letter it may find you and family well. I have to inform you that Mr Manna has catched me on your account, and is determined to detain me till you come yourself; you may try to come as quick as possible, and if you cannot get a passage direct here you may get to Sherbro, and Mr. Francis will see that you get a passage here.
I an now, equal to a slave, because I do not know what may happen to me. Between now and night all depends on the good or evil heart of Mr. Manna. Therefore you will lose no time in coming to my assistance on your account. I hope to see you in a short time after you receive this letter.

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(Copy.)
Dear Husband,

I hope these lines will find you in good health, and also my son; l am not well in spirits, the child is well. I have to inform you that I came from Sherbro to a white man in the Gallenas that owned me some money, and when I went to Gindema Mr. Manna stopped me, and he said for my mother Rosamia Gray, on account of his wife Charlotte; therefore he says, that if Mrs. Gray does not come that I shall die here; therefore he says again, that she may either come or send his money that he paid him on account of Charlotte; and you as my husband, I hope you will do your best to have me released from here, as l am in great trouble and distress at present. I did try to make my escape, but I was overtaken and brought back to Gindema and confined. Spare no time to have me released; and to see my mother concerning this matter, as I know to-day but I do not know what to-morrow may bring forth.
I conclude, by remaining your affectionate wife,



Mr. Jos. Norman, Freetown.

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Enclosure 3, in No. 1.

(Copy.)

Sir,

I do myself the honour to enclose, for your information, a communication lately received from Mr. Fergusson, of this colony, with two letters written from the Gallinas by a woman, named Fry Norman, to her husband and her late mistress, both residing in Freetown; and I send open a letter addressed by me to King Siacca, at the same river, with the request that, after having perused, you will cause it to be conveyed to that chief as soon as you can conveniently do so.
These papers, the three first of which I transmit in original, and beg may be retuened to me, will place you in possession of circumstances attending the detention in captivity at Gallinas, by a son of King Siacca, named Manna, of Fry Norman and her child, subjects of Her Majesty, and inhabitants of this colony.
In communicating this information, I have to make it my special request that you will use your best endeavours for the immediate restoration to liberty of the persons thus unjustly and insolently detained; and that, should it be found impossible to effect this object without resorting to force, you will employ force in as far as may be necessary, and as your orders or the rules of your service may permit. Should circumstances require it, I shall be prepared to assist you, to the extent of my ability, with a military party from this garrison, or in such other manner as may appear to you advisable.
With the other enclosures I transmit a letter received from King Siacca himself, respecting the blockade at this moment of the Gallinas, and the slaves of the Spanish brig "Eliza Davidson," lately condemned as prize in the colony, that you may more fully understand my letter now addressed to him, which is partly a reply to that communication.



The Hon. Commander Denman. R.N.
&c. &c. &c.

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King Siacca,

The Governor of Sierra Leone received the letter subscribed by yourself and the Rogers family, which you sent to him a month ago, about the blockade of the Gallinas by the Queen of England's ships, about the seizure and plunder of your rice canoes by the commanders of those vessels, and about the two boys taken on board the "Eliza Davidson." whom you wish to be sent to you.
Respecting the blockade, the Governor refers you to the commander of the "Wanderer," who is the head of the commanders of the Queen's ships, by whom it is made by desire of the Queen of England herself, and by whom it must continue to be made so long as you buy African people, and sell them to the Spaniards, and help these men to sit down in your country to make this very bad trade. Respecting the ricecanoes which you say were seized and plundered, you must have been misinformed; but you must also ask Captain Denman. And respecting the two boys who belong to the "Eliza Davidson,” you cannot get, because they were made slaves by Mr. Rodgers, and are now made free boys in Sierra Leone.
But I am to tell you now, that the Governor of Sierra Leone has a complaint to make to you, of your own son Manna, who has seized a woman, named Fry Norman, whom he formerly knew as a servant of Mrs. John Gray, in Freetown, and keeps her and her child, who was bom in this colony, prisoners; and says he will not give them up unless he gets a debt paid, which he says Mrs. Gray owes him. Now he must give them up at once to Captain Denman; and you must order and cause him to do so, because if you do not the Governor has written to Captain Denman, to ask him to assist this Government in taking them by force; and you must know what the consequence will be then. In fact, it will simply be this, that the Governor and Captain Denman will level to the ground every town and house you have, and every establishment in the Gallinas.

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Sir,

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's letter of the 30th October, enclosing a letter for the King of Gallinas, requiring him to deliver up two British subjects, whom his son has made slaves of, which you wish me to cause to be conveyed to him as soon as convenient; and requesting me to obtain the immediate restoration of the persons in question by force, should it be impossible by other means.
I beg to inform you that the white slave-dealers established in this river, occupying six several factories, each defended by heavy guns, have obtained such power over the native chiefs and the country, that in several instances during bad weather, when boats of Her Majesty's ships have sought refuge on board vessels belonging to friendly powers anchored at Gallinas, it has been positively refused, in consequence of the threats of these infamous intruders, and by similar means they have completely cut off all communication with Her Majesty's ships on the part of the natives. A few days since I entered the river in a Kroo canoe, and an attempt was made to capture her by cutting her off from the entrance.
Under these circumstances, and as I have strong reasons to believe that these white slave dealers are determined to oppose all intercourse, I consider it impossible to forward your Excellencie's Despatch except by stealth, and in a manner little calculated to impress the natives with respect for British authority; or by entering the river with a force sufficient to resist any aggression that nay be attempted.
I, therefore, have resolved to take an early opportunity of passing the bar with the whole force at my disposal and l trust soon to deliver the unfortunate woman and her child from slavery, and shall take the same opportunity of demanding satisfaction for the treatment experienced by Her Majesty's cruizers in the port.
With regard to the other subject referred to in your Excellency's letter, I beg to inform you that the boys liberated from the "Eliza Davidson" are on board this sloop. They declare they were sold by one Bungo, a white man, at Dombocorro, (a slave factory), and they declare that they never saw Mr. Rogers, and have no knowledge of any person of the name.
During the rigorous watch which I have kept to prevent the exportation of slaves from Gallinas, I have never lost an opportunity of promoting legitimate commerce, which is at present however nearly annihilated by the slave trade; and I have ever considered it a most important part of the duty of officers employed upon this coast to convince the natives that the friendly disposition of Great Britain towards Africa is the sole motive which prompts her efforts for the abolution of that most baneful and destructive traffic.



His Excellency the Governor, Sierra Leone,
&c. &c. &c.

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Enclosure 4 in No. 1.

(Copy.)

Sir,

Having obtained the liberation of between 800 and 900 slaves from the King of Gallinas, I have determined upon carrying them to Sierra Leone, and have to request that your Excellency will be pleased to cause them to be received in the Liberated African Department.
I beg to inform you that the woman Fry Norman has been delivered up to me, but regret that my excessive occupation prevents me from forwarding a fuller account of my proceedings at present.



His Excellency the Governor, Sierra Leone,
&c. &c. &c.

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Enclosure 5, in No. 1.

(Copy.)
Sir,

I have the honour to forward to your Excellency the following account of my proceedings at Gallinas.
On the 19th at day-light I entered the river, and observing the Spaniards carrying off a large number of slaves from the factories in their canoes, I chased them, and succeeded in rescuing about 90.
I then landed at Dombocorro, the factory nearest to the bar, where I awaited the arrival of the King to hold a conference, having previously despatched a letter to him when entering the River. — No. 1.
Your Excellency will observe from the Enclosures the difficulty I experienced in obtaining an interview with the chiefs; the Spanish slave-dealers having used every means to dissuade them, and whose efforts were seconded by the fears of Prince Manna for the consequences of his conduct towards the woman Fry Norman.
At 12·45 on the 20th, one of his brothers, named John Joseph, who had been hitherto the means of communication, arrived, with the Sierra Leone woman and her child, with the Enclosure No. 10. Finding there was still no appearance of the prince and his chiefs at 2 p.m., I despatched the letter numbered 11, shortly after which the prince arrived, attended by the chiefs, who agreed in declaring that King Siacca was at Ghindamar, bedridden from age; and that Prince Manna was fully empowered to act in his behalf.
After delivering your Excellency's letter, I commenced with the complaints contained in the letter of the 9th September, signed by the King and the Rogers' family.
With regard to the blockade of their ports against slave-vessels, and the claim that such should not be captured within three leagues of the coast, they were at once satisfied; indeed they evidently felt no interest whatever upon these points, which had been inserted by the influence of the white slave dealers as a last resource.
They admitted that no country boat had been molested within the last year; but that, before that period, one had been emptied by a British cruiser. I told them that if the statement was true, proof must have been discovered showing the rice to be intended for the slave trade; and that if any cause of complaint occurred again they must at once apply to Sierra Leone for redress, which I promised them should be afforded if the case required it.
I had brought the two boys taken in the "Eliza Davidson" on shore, for the purpose of confronting them with their pretended uncles. The three Messrs. Rogers present declared that they had no knowledge whatever of them; and the chiefs agreed that they were not natives of their country. They were therefore rather confused when I told them that these were the same boys so formally demanded as their nephews by King Siacca and the Rogers' family, in their letter of the 9th September. It was quite clear that these complaints had been trumped up by the Spanish slave dealers for their own purposes; and the prince and the chiefs were perfectly satisfied of the groundlessness of the statements in general, and the direct falsehood of that respecting the two boys.
I then taxed Prince Manna with the falsehood contained in the postscript of his letter, Enclosure No. 6, stating that the woman Fry Norman had been sent to Sierra Leone two days before. This however he appeared to consider as an excellent joke.
I explained to him that nothing could possibly excuse his seizing the person of a British subject; and that had Mrs. Gray herself visited his country, even if she had behaved ten times worse than by his account she had, it could give him no sort of right to lay any constraint whatever upon her. I therefore demanded that he should make a most full and ample apology for his conduct, publicly before his chiefs; together with a solemn promise never again to be guilty of such an act. With this he at once complied, making the apology and promise in a satisfactory manner.
I then demanded redress upon the following grounds, viz.-
That the boats of Her Majesty's ships had in frequent instances been denied refuge by vessels belonging to friendly nations, when at anchor in King Siacca's waters, in consequence of threats from the shore.
That on one occasion a boat of the "Rolla" had been stove, and her crew were in imminent danger of drowning but for the friendly assistance of an American brig, which received the crew on board, and hoisted in and repaired the boat. That the master, on landing, had been threatened for his humanity, and strictly forbidden to afford refuge or any sort of assistance for the future to boats in similar circumstances.
That all communication, supplies, &c., between Her Majesty's ships and the shore had been entirely out off by the same means.
That two free people belonging to Sierra Leone had been rescued from the Spanish slave dealers on the morning of the 19th, they having been found as slaves in the territories of King Siacca. The prince and the chiefs in reply stated that they were entirely innocent of these acts, which had been committed without their knowledge by the Spanish slave-dealers who had settled in their country; and that it would not be just to punish them for the acts of foreigners who had acted without their knowledge and against their laws; and who by assuming power in their waters had exposed them to the displeasure of The Queen of England.
I then made the demand contained in the Enclosure No. 12, which I delivered to the prince, requesting him to attend with the chiefs at Dombocorro to settle finally the questions at issue.
He promised to do his utmost to obtain the accession of the King and the chiefs; but said that since he had already made an humble apology respecting Fry Norman which I had accepted, he requested me to remit my demand of a second apology, to which I at once yielded, as it appeared but reasonable.
On the following day the prince attended with all the principal chiefs, and his brother, who unanimously agreed to the enclosed Treaty No. 19, which is in accordance with my first demand except as regards the total abolition of the slave trade, which they stated was expressly permitted by their laws; and that they could not abolish that which the law sanctioned. They promised, however, that the question should be brought immediately before the council by which their laws are established.
King Siacca also formally laid claim to the goods in the factories as forfeited to him by the laws of his country, inasmuch as the white slave-dealers had usurped his authority and brought him into trouble. I therefore consented that he should take possession of the goods on condition that he immediately removed them into the interior: and with the understanding that I should take on board ail the articles actually required for the slave trade, and in order to make certain of their destruction, the handcuffs, chains, shackles, &c., together with the bar iron used for forging them, as well as all the canvass and boats used for embarking slaves capable of carrying near 600 slaves, all belonging to the slave-dealers, have been removed to Her Majesty's ships.
On the 22nd the slaves began to arrive, and by the morning of the 26th I had received upwards of 880, being within 30 of the number I had originally demanded, and which I have reason to believe is very nearly the whole number which were in the Barracoons previous to my entering the river.
I had embarked the slaves as I received them on board a prize equipped for slaves, and this sloop, therefore, after receiving a written promise from the prince and the chiefs to deliver up the remaining 30 to the Saracen within a week, I embarked on the afternoon of the 26th, and returned without any accident whatever.
During the 22nd, 23rd, 24th, and 25th, the slave factories at Paisley, Jeinbo, Minna, Jeekree Comassoon, Comatindo, and Teiro were burnt to the ground; and that of Dombocorra, where my people had been quartered, was totally destroyed 12 hours after I embarked.
The enormous extent of the slave trade at this place may be imagined from the number of factories of large extent, all occupying different islands or points in the river, and belonging to distinct houses at Havana. It is impossible that the average exportation per annum can have been less than 15,000.
Mr. Rogers, I believe, will endeavour to prosecute the slave trade for himself, but I think with little chance of success; for I shall maintain the same watch as before to prevent the traffic, until I am satisfied that it has entirely ceased; and as all confidence between the Spaniards and the natives must be destroyed, every vessel must bring wherewithal to purchase her slaves, involving a very long exposure to capture compared with the recent practice, by which the slaves could ship their cargoes and depart in a single hour from the moment of their anchoring.
In consequence of the rigorous blockade of Gallinas as regards the slave trade, which has been maintained since April, a great number of the slaves have been a very long time in confinement, and the satisfaction I experienced in witnessing the joy and gratitude of those poor creatures was greatly enhanced by the reflection that but for their present deliverance their dreadful state of misery and suspense would have been infinitely prolonged. Many have been 12 months in the Barracoons, and some have been placed in canoes four several times for exportation; but in each case the vessel destined to receive them was captured.
In all these proceedings I have endeavoured to convince the natives of the sincere desire entertained by Great Britain to promote the welfare and happiness of the natives of Africa; and I trust, at the same time, that a severe blow has been struck against the slave trade, the foundation has been laid for the recommencement of commercial intercourse between Sierra Leone and the Gallinas, which cannot fail to be beneficial to each party.
I have as yet found but two British subjects, named in the margin [John Fraser, John Parker], amongst the slaves, but believe there is another on board the brig.

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List of Documents herewith enclosed.

No. 1. Letter to King Siacca, 19th November.
Nos. 2 and 3. Letters from Messrs. Rogers, 19th November.
No. 4. Letter to King Siacca, 19th November.
No. 5. From Prince Manna, promising to attend at Dombocorro, 19th November, 1840.
No. 6. Ditto, declining ditto.
No. 7. To King Siacca.
No. 8. From Prince Manna, promising to attend.
No. 9. To King Siacca.
No. 10. From Prince Manna, with the woman Fry Norman.
No. 11. To prince Manna.
No. 12. To King Siacca.
Nos. 13 and 14. To King Lamina.
Nos. 15, 16, 17, and 18. Documents transmitted with the Governor's letter of 30th October, in original, and returned according to request.
No. 19. Treaty between Captain Denman and the chiefs.

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No. 1.

(Copy.)

Sent on crossing the Bar, addressed "to King Siacca or Mr. Rogers."

King Siacca. — Gallinas.

The Honourable Joseph Denman, commanding Her Britannic Majesty's ships and vessels from Cape Verd to Cape Palmas, has been requested by the Governor of Sierra Leone to deliver a Despatch to the King of Gallinas, and to see him, for the purpose of talking upon several matters of the utmost importance to the King of Gallinas and his subjects.
Captain Denman has also some other matters of great importance to speak to the King about; but the white men who have set down in the Gallinas to make this bad trade of buying and selling black man, as if they were brutes instead of human beings like themselves, have plenty of big guns, and threaten to make war on men-of-war's boats if they pass their slave factories.
They have also cut off all intercourse with the shore, so the only way left to Captain Denman is to bring with him a force able to defend itself from their bad white men; but he does not come to do injury to King Siacca or his people, unless King Siacca should refuse that which the Governor of Sierra Leone, in the name of the Queen of England, justly demands.
Captain Denman, therefore, requests that the king and his headmen will come to meet him as soon as possible, that he may deliver to the king the letter from the Governor of Sierra Leone; and that the causes of complaint that now exist may be ended in a friendly manner, without delay.

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No. 2.

(Copy.)

Received at 7 a.m. on the 19th November.

To the Commander of the Boats entered into the River.

Seeing a number of boats enter our river this morning, we are desirous to know their cause of coming in such a number of boats into the river. An answer with despatch will oblige.



Nov. 9, 1840. Minna Town, Gallinas. .

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No. 3.

(Copy.)

Received at 8·30 a.m. 19th November.

To the Commander of the Boats entered the River.

We wrote you a note this morning, desiring to know the cause of such a number of boats entering the river, but not receiving any answer from you, we are at a loss to know what is your cause of coming into the river; we, therefore, request a satisfactory answer from you by bearer.



Nov. 9, 1840.
Minna Town, Gallinas.

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No. 4.

(Copy.)

To King Siacca.

The commander of Her Britannic Majesty's squadron on this coast has entered the Gallinas river for the purpose of holding an interview with King Siacca respecting various subjects of complaint that exist upon the part of Her Britannic Majesty, and also to deliver a Despatch to him from the Governor of Sierra Leone respecting a woman named Fry Norman, a British subject, who, with her child, has been made a slave of by Mr. Manna, the king's son.
Captain Denman is also requested by the Governor of Sierra Leone to talk with the King respecting some complaints made to him (the Governor) in September last.
King Siacca is therefore requested to come as soon as possible to Dumbocorro, in order that the existing differences may be settled in a friendly manner.
The Queen of England is very desirous of maintaining a good understanding with the African Kings; and Captain Denman trusts that King Siacca will lose no time in coming to Dumbocorro, and in satisfying the just demands he has to make.

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No. 5.

(Copy.)

Received at 1 p.m. 19th November.
To the Commander of Her Britannic Majesty's Squadron, Captain Denman.

Sir,

I received your letter by the bearer, and in reply to it I have to state that my father is an ageable man now, and not able to attend to the time appointed by your honour. But as I am here myself in his room for the present, I will call up all the chiefs for a small meeting, and present ourselves before you; and therefore you will please to have a few hours' patience, Sir.

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No. 6.

(Copy.)

Received at 3 p.m. 19th November.

To Captain Denman.

Your favourite message by our messenger he has delivered, desiring us to attend at Dumbocorro. His Majesty King Siacca returns his compliments to you, and begs to inform you, that he cannot make it convenient to attend upon you at Dumbocorro, as he thinks if you are come to him on friendly terms, and also having a Despatch from the Governor of Sierra Leone for him, he will be happy to see you over to Tindo this afternoon, where everything you are desirous to know from him will be decided.
King Siacca remains with respect, &c.
P.S. — Prince Manna begs to inform Captain Denman that the woman Fry Norman, with her child, which he demanded in his note this morning, that he has sent them both to Sierra Leone to Mrs. Gray two days ago.

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No. 7.

(Copy.)

To King Siacca.

Captain Denman has received the King's letter declining to meet him at Dumbocorro, according to his invitation contained in the second letter that he wrote this morning.
Having invited King Siacca in a friendly manner to hold a conference at Dumbocorro, Captain Denman is pledged to treat King Siacca, or if he is unable to travel, his representative. with attention, and bound not to offer to them the slightest violence or incivility.
Captain Denman having come to River Gallinas for the purpose of obtaining the woman and her child, so unjustly made slaves of by Prince Manna, in order that the insult offered, and the injury inflicted on the subjects of the Queen of England may be explained and redressed without having recourse to arms, considers that if they really were released two days ago some proof of the fact is due, and that at all events a most ample apology and solemn promise that such aggression shall not be repeated, is the very smallest reparation that can be made. Under these circumstances Captain Denman thinks his request, that King Siacca and his headmen should meet him at Dumbocorro, is most reasonable and moderate. Should King Siacca think proper to accede to this request. Captain Denman pledges his word as a British officer that the King or any of his sons who may appear on his behalf shall be treated with civility, and be allowed to depart whenever they please. But, on the other hand, if King Siacca persists in refusing to hold a conference at Dumbocorro early this morning, as proposed by Captain Denman, then he will be obliged to consider that King Siacca deliberately refuses the opportunity thus offered to him of avoiding the consequences of having made slaves of British subjects.

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No. 8.

(Copy.)

To Captain Denman.
Dear Sir,

Received your answer by the bearer, and have perused the contents, and beg to inform Captain Denman that the Prince Manna will wait upon him in the morning; and request to inform you that no violence will be offered to anything belonging to you, and we expect the same from you.

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No. 9.

(Copy.)

To King Siacca.

Captain Denman begs to inform King Siacca that he waited the whole of yesterday for the arrival of King Siacca, or his representative, and it is necessary for him to lose no more time.
If, therefore, King Siacca wishes to do what is just, according to the demands of the Queen of England, and if he wishes to make reparation for the gross insult offered to Her by the enslaving of Her subjects, he must lose no time in coming to Dumbocorro with his chiefs. Unless he does so before 12 o'clock of this day. Captain Denman must consider that King Siacca declines the opportunity offered to him of making reparation, and of preserving the friendly understanding which has hitherto prevailed.

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No. 10.

(Copy.)

Honoured Sir,

I beg leave to give your honour a short statement of the detainment of Fry Norman, mentioned in your letter yesterday directed to King Siacca, my father; and hoping at the same time that the above statement will meet your honour's approbation to see me righted, as well as any of the Queen of Great Britain's English subjects, and far from making any English man or woman a slave of mine, a thing that King Siacca, my father, never was guilty of in all his reign, nor even any insult to the Governor of Sierra Leone, but to give me justice as well as yourself.
Sir, in year 1832, I gave a young girl of mine to Mrs. Rosana Grey, of Sierra Leone, as an apprentice, to instruct her to sew, wash, and iron, until she is grown to a young woman; and I bid her to keep the girl Charlotte, as that is her name, in the presence of Mrs. Fry Norman, close, as she my wife; and to give her no man, or any man to have connection with the girl Charlotte, but no agreement for paying for learning the above sewing, washing, and ironing, to serve the said Mrs. R. Grey, of Sierra Leone, until the girl Charlotte should be grown to a young woman, which the said Mrs. R. Grey of Sierra Leone promised me faithfully that the girl Charlotte will be properly taken care of on that part; and, after taking the girl to Sierra Leone, instructed and grown to a young woman, the said Mrs. R. Grey of Sierra Leone sent me a letter, stating that Charlotte is well instructed and grown, but I must send her, the said Mrs. R. Grey, of Sierra Leone, another apprentice, and she will send my wife Charlotte home to me, which without any objection I sent Mrs. Grey another of my girls, Betty by a name, and gave Mrs. Grey the same charge for Betty as I did for Charlotte, the first; but after looking out for my young wife, brought in English ways and fashions, for long time, I find I was disappointed, for Mrs. R. Grey of Sierra Leone, after receiving the second girl, Betty, took my long expected young wife and gave her to so many men to make her living out of my young wife, and made a common prostitute of her. And after writing several letters to the said Mrs. R. Grey, of Sierra Leone, to send Charlotte home, as she is free and her mother and families longed to see her, for above two years Mrs. Grey will not send Charlotte, and after many entreaties sent me Betty, the last I sent her, instead of Charlotte, the first. And Mr. James W. Smith and Mr. William Thomas, both of Sierra Leone, happen to be here in the Gallinas, at Gandima, I lodged my complaints to them for what Mrs. R. Grey has done to me about my wife, and beg them to write to her and carry the letter to Mrs. R. Grey, as they belong to Sierra Leone, which they did; and carry Ihe letter to Sierra Leone to Mrs. R. Grey; and after reading it she insulted these two gentlemen, and she told them that she did not care if Mr. Manna was to send his letters to the Governor of Sierra Leone; that she, the said Mrs. R. Grey, will not send Mr. Manna's wife Charlotte to Gallinas unless Mr. Manna pay for the said Mrs. R. Grey 150 Spanish dollars for the instruction of Charlotte, which bargain we did make at the time of giving her, the said Mrs. R. Grey, the girl Charlotte as an apprentice, which I was forced to pay into the hands of Mrs. R. Grey by one of three men, whom I sent to fetch Charlotte. After the 150 dollars is received, which I beg your honour will look into this statement and give me justice, and also to show you that I only detained Fry Norman here to call Mrs. R. Grey, which I trusted that when the Governor should hear of it, will cause Mrs. R. Grey to come here in the Gallinas herself for Fry Norman, and to tell her or make her pay me my 150 Spanish dollars back again, as it was not agreed before but to serve her until she was grown. Sir, I remain with much respect, &c.



Captain Denman, Commander of H.B.M. Squadron,
&c. &c. &c.

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No. 11.

Despatched at 2 p.m.

Prince Manna,

Captain Denman begs to inform Prince Manna that he has received the woman Fry Norman and her child. But the letter from the Governor of Sierra Leone he will not deliver to any person whatever except King Siacca or his son, Prince Manna; and he declares that a personal interview is indispensably requisite to fulfil the duties he has to perform.
He repeats his solemn promise that Prince Manna shall be received with civility, and allowed to depart as soon as he pleases.

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No. 12.

(Copy.)

Delivered to Prince Manna at 7·30 p.m.

King Siacca.

Captain Denman claims from King Siacca, that he will prove to him that the white slave dealers have acted without his knowledge in their infamous conduct against the Queen of England's subjects, by acting as follows, viz,.—
That he will himself destroy their factories and their contents, or consent to Captain Denman's doing so.
That he will deliver up the slaves who have been carried into the bush from the factories.
That he will for ever abolish the slave trade in his dominions; and that he will promise, in writing, never to allow such conduct in future, and express his sorrow for what has happened with regard to the woman Fry Norman and her child.

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No. 13.

(Copy.)

Sent at sunset of the 23rd.

King Lamina.

King Lamina having carried off a large number of slaves from Comating, which the chiefs of the Gallinas country had engaged to deliver up to Captain Denman, Captain Denman hereby demands that King Lamina will send every one of them to him, at Dumbocorro, before 12 o'clock of the 24th instant.



Thirty slaves were sent in reply to this letter.

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No. 14.

(Copy.)

Sent at 8 a.m. 25th.

To King Lamina,

I again demand the slaves that you have in your possession, which Prince Manna and the chiefs have engaged to give up to me.
Prince Manna will deliver this letter to you, and unless you give up every one of those slaves immediately I will burn your town.



Seventy slaves were sent in reply to this letter, making up the whole number King Lamina had detained.

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No. 19.

(Copy.)

Nos. 15, 16, 17, and 18, consisted of the originals of Enlosures 1 and 2.

In consequence of the white slave dealers settled in the River Gallinas having prevented the boats of Her Britannic Majesty's ships from receiving the common rights of humanity when in distress, and seeking refuge in King Siacca's waters; in violation of his dignity, and of his rights, thus exposing him to differences with the Queen of England, and also in consequence of a Sierra Leone boy having been made a slave of by these white men at the River Gallinas, who was discovered and released by Commander Denman on the 19th instant.
1st. King Siacca engages totally to destroy the factories belonging to these white men without delay.
2dly. King Siacca engages to give up to Commander Denman all the slaves who were in the Barracoons of the white slave dealers when he entered the river, and have been carried off into the bush.
3dly. King Siacca engages to send these bad white men out of his country by the first opportunity, and within four months from this date.
4thly. King Siacca binds himself in the most solemn manner that no white men shall ever for the future settle in his country for the purpose of slave dealing.
5thly Captain Denman, upon the part of Her Britannic Majesty, promises never to molest any of the legitimate commerce of the River Gallmas, but that, on the contrary, Her Majesty's ships shall afford every assistance to the King Siacca's subjects, and take every opportunity of promoting his commerce.
6thly. The Governor of Sierra Leone will use his influence to get the Sierra Leone people to open the trade with King Siacca's country.
7thly. No white man from Sierra Leone shall settle down in King Siacca's country without his full permission and consent.
8thly. All complaints that King Siacca may have to make hereafter against any of Her Majesty's ships, he is requested to forward at once to Sierra Leone, and a full investigation, and such redress as the occasion may require, is solemnly promised to Commander Denman on the part of Her Britannic Majesty.
Done at Dumbocorro in the River Gallinas, this 21st day of November, 1840.



Captain Denman, by the request of the Prince Manna and the chiefs, hereby states, that he at first demanded that the trade goods of the white slave dealers should be destroyed with their factories, but King Siacca having declared that those persons have acted in defiance of his laws, and that in consequence he considers their goods as forfeited to him, Captain Denman has withdrawn his demand upon this point, and consented that King Siacca shall take possession of the said goods, on condition that they are immediately taken out of the factories, and removed to Chindemar, or some other place far from the coast.

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No. 2.

(No. 2.)

Extract of a DESPATCH from Governor Sir John Jeremiel to Lord John Russell.

Governor Doherty has in his Despatch, numbered 67, dated 7th of December last, transmitted to your Lordship an account of the proceedings of Captain Denman, of Her Majesty's sloop "Wanderer," at the Gallinas, and his opinion as to their probable effect; in which opinion, generally, I concur.
It is with much regret and some surprise I find the immediate neighbourhood of Sierra Leone the scene of a very extensive slave traffic; the people at the Gallinas alone had, beyond doubt, undertaken to furnish thirteen thousand slaves in the course of the year. They supplied last year upwards of thirteen thousand; and it is the property sent by Spaniards from Cuba to pay for these thirteen thousand, amounting, according to mercantile calculation, which however, I cannot but consider greatly exaggerated, to two hundred thousand pounds, that the Chief has taken possession of and confiscated to his own use. And by the enclosed excellent letter from Captain Denman, to which I beg leave respectfully to call your Lordship's attention, it would appear there are two other extensive slave marts in that direction, Cestos and Sea-bar; whilst to the north are the Pongos, Nunez, and others.
The remedy for this state of things, your Lordship, I am satisfied, will not expect I should, on so short an experience, attempt to suggest; but the general impression is that, owing to the shoals at the Bissagos, nothing but light steamers will satisfactorily drive away the slaver from the coasts between this and Gambia. And as to the expense of maintaining them, now that I have seen this harbour and anchorage, I am convinced that, by by employing them, when not otherwise engaged, to tow merchant vessels in and out, they would nearly, if not fully, repay the charge of their maintenance and wages of the crews. At Mauritius a considerable item in the public revenue is collected by the assistance thus afforded to the merchantmen; and doubly acceptable would it be at Sierra Leone. Nor is this my idea only: it was originally mentioned to me by one of our most extensive Sierra Leone merchants settled in London, Mr. Weston.

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Enclosure 1, in No. 2.

(Copy.)

Sir,

I beg to forward to your Excellency such information as I have been able to collect respecting Gallinas, which, though trifling in amount, and necessarily very imperfect, I am induced to trouble you with, under the impression that, owing to the long and exclusive prosecution of the slave trade, that country is entirely unknown to the people of Sierra Leone.
The bar of the river is only passable for large boats or small coasting craft, and is very dangerous during the rains, when it is frequently impassable. During the dry season it may be generally passed with safety, excepting occasionally at the full and change of the moon, which has a very marked effect upon the surf on the whole of this coast.
After passing the bar the river opens out into a spacious sheet of water, about three miles across in every direction, which is studded with islands lately occupied by the slave dealers, and affording very favourable situations for trading factories.
From hence the river runs in three branches to the north-westward, to the northward, and to the north-east. The first, during the rainy season, joins the Boom Kittam River, thus affording a direct inland water communication with Sierra Leone; but, in the dry season, about eight miles is too shallow for canoes to pass.
The next branch runs past the town of Ghindamar (where the king resides), nine miles from the sea, and is navigable about five leagues for large canoes.
The third branch runs close inside the sea-beach to the south-east about four miles, and then turns suddenly to the north-east, at a place called Soolimane; from hence it is navigable for large canoes about seven miles. This branch forms the south-east boundary of the Gallinas territory. To the north-west it terminates at a place called Casi, on the banks of the first branch, known by two conspicuous round trees, which form the principal landmark in this quarter. These limits comprise about twelve miles of sea-coast.
The chiefs describe their territory as spreading out very much and running far into the interior, where it is said to be much more fertile and populous than the district near the sea, which appeared, to me to be thickly peopled.
When the English slave trade was abolished considerable traffic sprung up, and was rapidly increasing when the Spaniards commenced the slave trade in about 1817. From that time legitimate commerce gradually withered, and was at length totally annihilated by the establishment of a permanent slave factory in shore about fifteen years ago by Pedro Blanco, at that time mate of a slave vessel.
Since then the slave trade has been the only pursuit; and during the long period that has since elapsed not enough produce has been exported to form the cargo of the smallest coasting vessel.
Cattle, formerly abundant, are now extremely scarce. Beef cannot be purchased under 1s. 6d. per pound; and for rice, the principal article of food, and once a considerable article of export, they now depend upon the Sherbro and the Plantain Islands.
They have already, in a wild state, but of the finest quality, cotton, indigo, pepper, and palm-nut, the sugar-cane, and tobacco, which they are enabled to cure. Salt is procured in considerable quantities; and there is no doubt that coffee would flourish as well as at Sierra Leone and Moravia.
The chiefs unanimously agreed that they could obtain camwood [?] and ivory in large quantities; gold-dust, also, from the interior, and that cattle might be reared to such an extent as to enable them to export hides in considerable quantities.
The following list of articles, which they assure me would find a ready market, appears to me to prove that the necessaries of civilized life are in sufficient demand to ensure the cultivation of their natural resources now they can no longer be obtained through the medium of the slave factories, — flour, wine, tea, coffee, rum, butter, cheese, tobacco, hats, clothes, shoes, coral, muskets, knives and forks, beads, trinkets, glass, crockery, powder — brass-pans for making salt, hardware, and cotton and linen clothes of all descriptions.
Some idea of the amount of consumption may be formed from a list of vessels that have discharged their cargoes at the slave factories during the last nine months: —

Eliza Davidson	200 tons	Whole cargo	American.
Theophilus Chase	160 “	Ditto	ditto.
Alexander	200 "	Ditto	ditto.
Simihole	100 "	Ditto	ditto.
Argus	100 "	Ditto	Hamburgh.
Crawford	300 "	Half cargo	American.
Antoine Ferriol	100 "	Ditto	French.
Jeune Frederick	200 "	Part cargo	ditto.
Waverly	200 "	Ditto	American.

While employed destroying the factories two other vessels arrived with cargoes, half of which they had expected to dispose of.
It appears that the Mahomedan religion was introduced by missionaries from Coroango, Sangarah, Malon, Massado, and Toulah, about 40 years since. The king and all the principal chiefs have embraced this faith, and it is making rapid progress throughout the country; the Pagans still, however, greatly outnumber the proselytes.
The chiefs have supreme authority in their own districts, which they govern by the general laws passed from time to time by the king and chiefs assembled at Chindamar.
The most powerful of these is the family of Rogers, descended from an English mulatto. They possess the whole country in the neighbourhood of the sea, containing many populous towns, and are said to be as powerful as the king.
I am satisfied that so long as the natives consider it possible to carry on the slave trade they will never abandon it. In my conversation therefore with the chiefs, I endeavoured to convince them of its future impracticability; this they were prepared to believe, from the success which, has attended the system of blockade lately pursued, and followed up by the recent decisive measures.
I pointed out that, if they kept lingering in the hope of its revival, their country would inevitably fall into decay, and urged them at once to turn themselves vigorously to the cultivation of the soil, particularly recommending their attention to cotton and palm oil.
They declared they were heartily glad to be rid of the Spaniards, who had treated them with great insolence. They were willing to receive a missionary, but did not wish people to form factories from Sierra Leone.
They put some questions as to the light in which we regarded their domestic slavery, which I told them we should never interfere with, excepting by endeavouring to enlighten them sufficiently to induce them voluntarily to adopt a better system, which would be every year assisted by commerce: and I took the opportunity of showing them the broad distinction between the resident and permanent servants of the soil under the constant care of their masters from generation to generation, until the advance of civilization should reduce their bondage to a mere name, and the enormous practice of kidnapping their fellow-creatures and consigning them to the horrors of foreign slavery.
They declare they gave up all hopes of still following up the slave trade, and were very anxious to open trade with Sierra Leone.
Many applied to me to take their children to Sierra Leone for instruction, and I received two sons of a very intelligent chief named Gomez (who had been educated in England) on board my ship, but declined taking more until I should be in possession of your Excellency's views upon the subject.
I have thus long trespassed on your Excellency's time, feeling that the consequences to Gallinas of the virtual suppression of its slave trade must have most important effects upon the surrounding native states.
Upon these grounds I consider it imperatively necessary to seize on the opportunity of encouraging that people to cultivate their natural resources. Should they fail or even delay to apply themselves to this only sure foundation of improvement and civilization, the ideas of prosperity and slave trade will be inseparately connected over a vast tract of country to the very great detriment of our exertions. But it appears to me that if the present circumstances are improved, that Gallinas, so long the strongest hold of the slave trade, may become of great use in destroying this fatal traffic over a large district of country which has hitherto supplied the slave dealers with victims, and may become the means of spreading far and wide over the countries where its withering influence has so long existed the blessings of peaceful industry and of security to life and property.
The attempt to export from Sea-bar an increased number of slaves, which was determined on in consequence of the difficulties thrown in their way at Gallinas, has been already defeated by the capture of three vessels within a week — one by this sloop with 350 slaves on board, and two by the Saracen, equipped for the purpose of slave trade.
At Young Cestos, the only other point where slave factories exist between Sierra Leone and Cape Palmas, the effect of the destruction of the Gallinas factories has been so great that Mr. —— has voluntarily abandoned the slave trade, and delivered up those slaves which he possessed to Lieutenant Seagram.


To His Excellency
The Governor of Sierra Leone.