Africa and the American Flag

by Andrew H. Foote

The inclosed letter, above referred to, stated that American seamen were often enticed on board of slavers, without knowing their real character until it was too late to leave them. And that the owner of a lodging-house in Rio, where two or three sailors were boarding, offered, on one occasion, to get them a ship bound to the United States, which, at the time, was loading at Vittoria—a harbor to the northward of Cape Frio. They agreed to ship; and, after receiving their advance, proceeded in a small steamer outside the harbor of Rio, when they were transferred to a schooner, in company with a number of Brazilians; and, in a few days, reached Vittoria. On joining the slaver, which was named “Pilot,” they discovered her true character, but were not allowed to go on shore; and were promised, on their arrival in Africa, a good reward, with the option of returning in the vessel, or having their passage found in another. It was affirmed that these men had never seen the American consul; and the crew-list, register and other papers, were forgeries. Also that the owner of the Pilot was a Brazilian, and esteemed one of the richest men in the empire. Two slave-steamers were owned by him; and it was said that he had boasted that not a week passed that he had not had a full cargo of slaves landed on the coast. He then owned seven or eight vessels, sailing under the American flag, which he had bought in Rio, and whose papers were all forgeries. One of the vessels belonging to the rich Brazil merchant, and sailing alternately under the American and Brazilian flag, had made nine clear voyages; and on the last voyage, before she was captured, the American captain had landed at Ambriz, with part of his crew, his flag and papers; and then the vessel shipped one thousand slaves.

An American was the consignee of these vessels, bearing his country’s flag. He obtained for them masters, crews, flag and papers; and received for his agency a percentage on all slaves landed from the vessels.

During the month when the Pilot was equipped at Vittoria, two other slavers were also fitting out for the slave-trade, under the American flag; viz., the “Casco” and the “Snow.” The former was afterwards captured, with four hundred and fifty slaves, by the English steamer “Pluto;” the other entered the harbor of Rio under Brazilian colors, having landed her slaves outside.

The Pilot made the African coast near Benguela; and afterwards anchored at Bahia Longa, where, there being no slaves ready for shipment—as eight hundred had been, a few days previously, shipped in a two-topsail schooner—she was ordered, by the slave-agents, to remain at sea for ten days. On making the land at the expiration of that time, the English steamers Fire Fly, Star, and Pluto, being at Ambriz, she was again ordered to sea for ten days; when, on anchoring at the latter place, she was captured by the English steamer Cyclops. She was to have shipped twelve hundred slaves, who had been for some time ready for a slave-steamer—then so strictly blockaded at Santos by the English steamer Hydra, as to prevent her leaving port.

Such was the information contained in this letter.

During this correspondence with the British officers, the Perry was cruising off Ambriz, in company with a part of the British squadron, for the purpose of boarding and searching all American vessels suspected of being engaged in the slave-trade, on that part of the coast.

After cruising for several days, the commander-in-chief of the British naval forces, bearing his pendant at the main of the steam-frigate Centaur, appeared in the offing. The Perry hauled up her courses, and saluted him with thirteen guns, which were duly returned. An official call was made on the commodore, and an arrangement settled for the joint cruising of the Perry and steamer Cyclops.

This cruising had continued for a week or more, when the arrival of the U. S. sloop-of-war John Adams constituted her commander the senior American officer south of the equator; he, accordingly, while in company, relieved the Perry of the correspondence with the British officers.

A short time after the arrival of the Adams, it became necessary for her to visit Loanda, when the Perry was again left with the Cyclops, cruising off Ambriz.

[5] The papers of the second slaver captured by the Perry were in form, excepting the crew list, which showed but one American on board, who was master of the vessel. And in a letter of instructions from the reputed owner, he was required to leave whenever the Italian supercargo directed him to do so. This shows how readily the nationality of a vessel may be changed.