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No. 11.-Lieutenant-Governor Murray to Earl Bathurst.

MY LORD,

Demerara, October 24, 1822.

I HAVE had the honour to receive Your Lordship's Despatch of the 30th of August, relative to the Instructions found on board the French Slave Ship Ursule, together with its Inclosures. Your Lordship may depend on my paying the strictest attention to the Instructions therein contained.

I have every reason to believe that no attempts are made to introduce African Slaves into this Colony, yet will I be unremitting in the watchful jealousy that the character of my Government and of the Colony require of me, with an urgency as imperious as that which the faithful discharge of my duty imposes. I do not think that any attempt of the kind could possibly succeed in this Colony, where, in addition to all the penalties of the British Acts, there is a reward of £500 sterling, secured by a Colonial Act, to any individual who may give information leading to detection in such cases, which measure, I trust, your Lordship will view as highly creditable to the Colony.

I received a Communication some weeks ago from Mr. Lefroy, of Surinam, respecting the escape from the gaol in that Colony of Charles Beverley, who stands charged with being engaged there in this detestable traffic. I have in consequence described his Person, and by Proclamation called upon all inhabitants within my jurisdiction, to seize Charles Beverley, if he should be found within its precincts; and I have taken every measure necessary to lead to his apprehension if he should make his appearance here.

Earl Bathurst, K.G.

I have, &c.

JAMES MURRAY.

No. 12.-Lieutenant-Governor Beard to Earl Bathurst. MY LORD,

Berbice, November 19, 1822. REFERRING to a Despatch which I had the honour of addressing to your Lordship on the 23d October last, relative to the escape of a British Subject named Beverley, charged with Slave-trading, from Fort Zelandia in Surinam, I have now the honour of transmitting to your Lordship the Copy of a Despatch, dated 1st November, received by me this day from Mr. Lefroy, the British Commissary Judge in Paramaribo, informing me of the retaking of Beverley, and of his being again lodged in the Criminal Gaol of that Colony. I have, &c.

Earl Bathurst, K.G.

HENRY BEARD.

(Inclosure.)-C. E. Lefroy, Esq. to Lieut. Governor Beard. Paramaribo, Surinam, November 1, 1822.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY,

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's Letter of the 14th ultimo, and beg to return you my thanks for your prompt attention to my Despatch of the 19th September.

I have now the pleasure to acquaint you, that Beverley has since been retaken in this Colony, and again committed to our Criminal Gaol. I have the honour to be, &c.

H. E. Lieut. Governor Beard.

CHRIS EDW. LEFROY.

No. 13.-Lieutenant-Governor Beard to Earl Bathurst. MY LORD,

Berbice, November 24, 1822. I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith, for your Lordship's information, an extract from the log-book of the Schooner Olive Branch, Captain R. Boyd, belonging to Messrs. Coopers, of Pits Town, near Boston, in The United States, which arrived here the 19th instant from Bath, in America, by which your Lordship will with pain perceive that the Slave Trade is still openly and extensively carried on in Surinam.

I have this morning personally examined Captain Boyd, who very readily gave me every information. It appears that the Crew of the Ship which detained the Olive Branch was composed of men of all Nations, and that they had about hundred new African Negroes on board, a great number of whom were landed on the Coast of Surinam in the Boat of the Olive Branch, Captain Boyd being detained on board the Ship until the landing of these Negroes was effected, when the Captain of the Slave Ship paid him for his detention, and gave up his Boat to him, and allowed him to proceed on his voyage. I have thought it my duty to make this communication to your Lordship without delay. I have, &c.

Earl Bathurst, K.G.

HENRY BEARD.

(Inclosure.)-Extract from the Log Book of the Schooner Olive Branch, R. Boyd Master, from Bath, near Bost n, in The United States; from the 15th to the 17th November 1822.

was

“15th.—AT one P. M. saw a large Ship and a Schooner at anchor about 20 miles to the windward of Surinam; ran down to speak them; fired upon by the Ship, and ordered to come to an anchor, and send the Boat on board; accordingly did so, and I was detained, and my Boat employed in landing Slaves. The Captain was on shore till the 17th, when he came off; he said he was very sorry for detaining us, and that he was willing to pay the damage and let us go. They ap.

peared to be all of different Nations, as I could not understand their languages, nor gain any information from them."

ROBERT BOYD,

Master of the Schooner Olive Branch.

Signed in presence of

H. M. Morris, Govt. Secy.

No. 14.-Lieutenant Governor Beard to Earl Bathurst.

MY LORD,

Berbice, January 16, 1823.

I HAVE the honour of transmitting to your Lordship Copies of a Correspondence which I have recently had with Mr. Lefroy, the British Commissary Judge in the Mixed Commission at Surinam; and to remain,

Earl Bathurst, K.G.

SIR,

My Lord, &c.

HENRY BEARD.

(Inclosure.)-C. E. Lefroy, Esq. to Lieutenant Governor Beard. Paramaribo, December 26, 1822. THE accompanying is upon the subject of your Letter to me; will your Excellency be good enough to forward it? it may be long before an opportunity occurs from hence.

H. E. Lieut. Gov. Beard.

Your Excellency's, &c.

CHRIS. EDW. LEFROY.

Note. This Letter contained a Despatch addressed to the Right Hon. George Canning, &c. &c. &c. which was forwarded with Governor Beard's Despatches to The Earl Bathurst by way of Demerara, the 16th January 1823.

Copy of a Correspondence between Lt. Governor Beard, of Berbice, and C. E. Lefroy, Esq. of Surinam, relative to the landing of some new Negroes in the Boat of the American Schooner Olive Branch.

SIR,

Paramaribo, Surinam, December 24, 1822.

I BEG to return you many thanks for your Letter of the 6th instant, the information which your Excellency therein communicates being of great value, whether I may be able to prevail with the Authorities here to take any efficient steps for the detection and punishment of the Offenders or not, as, in the latter case, it will furnish His Majesty's Government with strong grounds of remonstrance with that of His Netherlands Majesty; however I have laid a Copy of your Excellency's Letter before the Governor of this Colony, and he has directed the Fiscal to make the proper inquiries, and act as the case may require. If your Excellency could obtain from Captain Boyd, and acquaint me with the name,

class, style of rigging, colour and breadth of riband (if any) painted round her sides, or any other distinguishing marks of the Slave Vessel, also the name and Nation of the Captain, Crew (if possible), and last Port, with the name of the plantation where the Slaves were landed, or how they were disposed of on being landed, as far as Captain Boyd or his men had an opportunity of observing, also the name or names or description of any Person or Persons belonging to this Colony, Black or White, Dutch or British, Slave or Freeman, who took part in the transaction, with such other particulars as your Excellency can pro. cure, and may deem pertinent, your Excellency would further promote the service in which I have the honour to be engaged, and oblige, &c. H. E. Lieut. Gov. Beard. CHRIS. EDW. LEFROY.

SIR,

King's House, Berbice, January 13, 1823. I HAVE this day had the honour of receiving your Despatch of the 24th December last, acknowledging the receipt of mine of the 6th of that month.

I should hope that in so plain and open a case of extensive Slavetrading as that to which I have taken the liberty of calling your attention, the Government of Surinam would not hesitate to take prompt and vigorous measures to detect the Offenders; and this I should think could not be very difficult when so large a body of Negroes has been landed at so short a distance from the Capital.

I greatly regret that I cannot give you the information you require. The Olive Branch, Captain Boyd, belongs to Messrs. Coopers of Pits Town, near Boston, in The United States, and came last from Bath in those States; he remained here but a short time, and sailed on the 30th of November last for Wilmington, in North Carolina, with a Cargo. Captain Boyd could not give me any particulars as to the name of the Slave Ship, or whence she came; the Crew appeared to him to be Foreigners of different Nations.

The Negroes were landed by the Crew of the Ship in Captain Boyd's own Boat, and as the Ship was at anchor upwards of 20 miles from the shore, he could not discover any place at which they landed ; all he could say was, that his Boat was continually employed going and returning to and from the land to the Ship with the Negroes, until all of them were landed. He was then allowed to take his Boat and return to his own Vessel.

Should you be able to make any discovery in this matter, I should feel myself obliged by your giving me early information of it. Your Dispatch for Mr. Canning I shall forward to-morrow by the way of Demerara.

Always anxious to co-operate with and assist you in the important

objects of your Commission, whenever opportunities may present themselves, or you should think my services could be made available, I have the honour, &c.

Chris. Ed. Lefroy, Esq.

HENRY BEARD.

SIR,

No. 15.-Earl Bathurst to Major General Murray.

Colonial Office, Downing Street, May 7, 1823. A LETTER dated the 18th ultimo has been addressed to my Under Secretary by direction of Mr. Secretary Canning, accompanying Copies of Explanatory and Additional Articles to the Treaty concluded at The Hague, 4th May 1818, between His Majesty and The King of The Netherlands for the prevention of the Traffic in Slaves. I transmit Copies of these Documents for the information and guidance of the Colonial Authorities within your Government.

I have, &c.

BATHURST. A similar Letter was addressed to Sir Charles Mac Carthy and to Lieutenant Governor Beard.

No. 16.-Sir R. T. Farquhar to Earl Bathurst. (Extract.)

Port Louis, Mauritius, Oct. 23, 1822.

I HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship, that Captain Moresby of His Majesty's Ship Menai, arrived here on the 21st instant, bringing with him the highly gratifying intelligence of the complete success of his Mission to the Imaum of Muscat, who has fully acceded to the Treaty which I proposed to him for Abolishing the Slave Traffic with Foreign Powers, in the Dominions and Dependencies of his Power.

I deem it my duty, on this occasion, to express to your Lordship my great obligations to Captain Moresby, for the prudence, intelligence and zeal with which he has conducted a Negotiation which required much address and decision to bring it to so happy a termi

nation.

Earl Bathurst, K.G.

R. T. FARQUHAR.

No. 17.-Sir R. T. Farquhar to Earl Bathurst. (Extract.) Port Louis, Mauritius, November 6, 1822. In reference to my Dispatch to your Lordship, No. 36, October 23d 1822, in which I had the honour to state that a Treaty had been concluded between the Imaum of Muscat and this Government, for Abolishing the Slave Traffick with Foreign Powers in His Highness's Dominions and Dependencies, I beg leave to inform your Lordship that I have lost no time in publishing this intelligence to the neighbouring Governments, and to His Majesty's Subjects in general in these Seas;

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