Folios 392-393: Thomas Browne, HMS Ulysses, St. Thomas's. Encloses letters from Captain...

Folios 392-393: Thomas Browne, HMS Ulysses, St. Thomas's. Encloses letters from Captain Tailour, HMS Comus detailing his trip up the River Calabar and detaining 8 Portuguese and Spanish slave vessels. Masters of several merchant ships on passage from England had advised that slave traders were given preference on the Calabar when they were taking in their cargoes of palm oil and he had ordered Captain Tailour to take measurers to support these traders on his arrival. Suggests that the fear of a second visit would deter the slave ships. Encloses a list of the ships detained and the number of slaves. Reports that when passing St. John's River on the windward coast he sent 2 light boats to search a schooner and these were fired on by the natives. They had apparently been armed by an Englishman, Mr. Crewe who owned a slave factory on the river. The next day the boats under Lieutenant Phillips destroyed the factory but Mr. Crewe escaped and he had time to send off all 200 slaves. Lieutenant Phillips was ordered to destroy a factory at Mansurador, but they were only able to rescue 4 slaves. These were the only slave depots or factories windward of Appolonia except in the Gambia and Rio Grande. Plans to arrange for the next convoy and sail southward as ordered and procure provisions until a supply arrives from Europe at Sierra Leone or the Cape Coast.

Folios 394-395: enclosed with folios 392-393. Letter dated 16 March 1815 by Captain John Tailour, HMS Comus to Captain Thomas Browne, Commander in Chief, HMS Ulysses. Discovered 2 schooners whilst running down towards Old Calabar in a Harmattan haze. He sent his boat to examine one of them and was fired on. Lieutenant Graham, Officer of the boat, reported he fired shots ahead of the schooner to bring her too, but she hoisted a Portuguese flag and fired on the boat. He managed to board her when it fell calm. She was named the Dos Amigos from Pernambues sailing towards the Island of Princes with a cargo with every requisite suitable for the purchase and conveyance of slaves. The other schooner, the Conception , American built, under Spanish colours from the Havannah also resisted boarding. He will endeavour to pick up both schooners to understand the grounds for their resistance, being from friendly powers.

Folios 395-396: enclosed with folios 392-393. Letter dated 4 March 1815 by Captain John Tailour, HMS Comus, to Captain Thomas Browne, Commander in Chief, HMS Ulysses. Sending this letter with a dispatch from Mr. James, Governor of Accra Roads to Cape Coast. After 2 days delay, he anchored here to get supplies of beef and other food and whilst waiting for these he received a letter from the Governor of James' Fort and his answer, which he attaches, which resulted in him attending 3 palavers. The first about a black man from the Dutch town detained in the Fort by Mr. Hall, Officer, who had stolen an iron bar. When Mr. Hall rode out in the morning with Mr. Morris, the Fort Commanding Officer, he was accosted by the Dutch Town's people and dragged away, and Mr. Morris, who intervened, was insulted and struck in the face. People from the English Black Town came to their rescue but the release of the culprit alone saved them from worse treatment. Those from the Dutch Town, having felt the effect of English shot when the Leander destroyed the Dutch Fort and knowing the fate of [Winabar?] know of the consequences of maltreating an Englishman, especially when a Man of War is in port. The palavers have involved the English Cabacius and [Pyrins?]. The second palaver involved the Dutch people's linguists and the reluctance for the culprits to be handed over to the Governor of the Fort. He doubts their sincerity to accept authority, although the Governor appears to be satisfied by his actions and feels safe. He is about to leave and carry out orders from Captain Browne despite his reservations that there may be further serious problems, especially as these people had previously murdered the Governor of their own Fort. He notes at the last palaver a promise was made to deliver up the offenders to Mr. James as soon as he has left the Fort, but the offenders had escaped with parties sent out to apprehend them.

Folios 397-398: enclosed with folios 392-393. Letter dated 25 March 1815 by Captain John Tailour, HMS Comus in the Old Calabar river, to Captain Thomas Browne, Commander in Chief, HMS Ulysses. Being windward of Bonny he has run down the entrance of the river and cruising for 5 days has afforded him information about the slave trafficking. He has fallen in with a trade boat, the Liverpool of Liverpool and detained her Officers to assist in navigating his ship. He anchored at Parrot Island. The boats were sent up last night under Lieutenant Graham who has brought out the Spanish ships, the Catalina Schooner, the Intrepeda Polacca Brig and the Carmen Schooner and Portuguese ships, the Bon Sorte Brig, the Estrella Schooner. There were some casualties with the taking of the Catalina Schooner. The other 2 Spanish ships and Portuguese ships had slaves on board. He will need to provision these ships before heading to St. Thomas where he hopes to meet with Captain Browne and receive his directions with respect to these ships. He attaches Lieutenant Graham's report of his proceedings whilst absent from the ship and praises his actions along with those of Lieutenant Pierce. Off Parrot Island his boats met a slave ship, the Saint Anna under Portuguese colours from Pernambuco, last sailed from Princes where part of her cargo was landed. He has therefore also detained her.

Folios 399: enclosed with folios 392-393. List of vessels dated 6 May 1815 detained by the Squadron under Commodore Browne. 2 Spanish schooners detained by HMS Ulysses, 2 Portuguese Brigs by HMS Bristol and 5 Spanish Schooners and 3 Portuguese Brigs detained by HMS Comus. 808 slaves rescued.

Folio 400: enclosed with folios 392-393. Letter dated 6 May 1815 by Captain John Tailour, HMS Comus, Man of Wars Bay Island St. Thomas, to Captain Thomas Browne, Commander in Chief, HMS Ulysses. On 4 March he had written from Accra where he had gone for provisions which were not to be had at Cape Coast. On 6 March he was off [Quitta?] and anchored at Little Popo on 7 March to try and secure yams without success and then sailed down the coast to the Bight of Benin and then the Bonny River.

Folio 401: blank.

Folios 402-404: enclosed with folios 392-393. Letter dated 25 March 1815 by Lieutenant Graham, to Captain John Tailour, HMS Comus. When anchored off the town of Old Calabar, he examined a schooner which might be an enemy. He was accosted in Spanish and answered in Portuguese and English that they were English and friends to Spain. On going up there were musket shots from the rear of the vessel. He had to defend himself from attack. They gained possession of the schooner and went to the assistance of Lieutenant Pierce who had boarded the Carmen, loaded with slaves, who met minimal resistance before taking possession. The British trading vessels advised that he should wait on Duke Ephraim, the head black man. To avoid possible danger he decided to invite him on board the slaving schooner where he proposed they went onboard the John of Liverpool. It was agreed that the detained vessels should be removed without molestation and that the Duke should pay his respects to Captain Tailour. They only bore arms when obliged to do so in self defence. All the named ships fallen into their hands have slaves on board with the exception of the Catalina which has gone down to Parot Island. The Catalina is of suspicious appearance and resisted boarding, which makes him suspect she is an enemy. On enquiry she proves to be the vessel that was chased on 18 March in the company of the Dos Amigos, Portuguese schooner that discharged broadsides at his boat.