Africa and the American Flag

by Andrew H. Foote

The vessel then proceeded to Loanda, and after remaining one day in port, beat up the coast as far as Elephants’ Bay, in 13° 14’ south latitude, communicated with four British cruisers, anchored en route in Benguela, and there supplied a British cruiser with masts, plank and oars, for repairing a bilged launch. During a walk on shore, a Portuguese merchant was met, who spoke of the slave-trade being in a languishing state. On calling at his house, a yard in the rear was observed, capable of accommodating some three or four hundred slaves. On entering Elephants’ Bay in a fresh breeze, the vessel was brought down to her double-reefed topsails.

Elephants’ Bay may be termed the confines of the Great Southern Desert, and the limit of the African fever. A very few wretched inhabitants, subsisting by fishing, are found along the shores. None were seen during the Perry’s visit. The soil is sandy and barren, and rains very scanty, seldom occurring more than once or twice during the year. The climate is exceedingly invigorating. The crew were permitted to haul the seine, and take a run on shore. A brackish spring was found, and around it were many tracks of wild animals. Several of the men, armed with muskets, while strolling a few miles from the shore, started up a drove of zebras, but were unsuccessful in their attempts to capture even a single prize.

The day after arriving in this bay, while one watch of the men were exercising the big guns at target-firing, and the other watch on shore familiarizing themselves with the use of small-arms, a large barque was discovered in the offing; and not conceiving any other object than that of slaving to be the business of a vessel on that desert coast, a signal-gun was fired, and the comet hoisted for “all hands” to repair on board. The Perry was soon off under full sail in chase of the stranger. As night closed in, and the sea-breeze became light, two boats, in charge of the first and second lieutenants, were dispatched in the chase; the vessel and boats occasionally throwing up a rocket and burning a blue light to indicate their relative positions. The strange vessel was at length brought to, and boarded. She proved to be a Portuguese barque in search of ochil for dyeing purposes.

CHAPTER XXXII.

THE CONDITION OF THE SLAVE-TRADE—WANT OF SUITABLE CRUISERS—HEALTH OF THE VESSEL—NAVY SPIRIT RATION—PORTUGUESE COMMODORE—FRENCH COMMODORE—LOANDA—LETTER FROM SIR GEORGE JACKSON, BRITISH COMMISSIONER, ON THE STATE OF THE SLAVE-TRADE—RETURN TO PORTO PRAYA.

After parting company with the Portuguese vessel, the Perry ran down to Loanda, from whence a letter, dated the 17th of April, was addressed to a gentleman in a prominent station at Washington, communicating in effect the following views and information:

“The slave-trade has received an effectual check within the past year. Only one suspected American vessel has been seen on the south coast, since the capture of the Chatsworth.

“In a letter from Sir George Jackson, British commissioner at Loanda, addressed to Lord Palmerston, which was shown to the commander of the Perry, it is stated that the present state of the slave-trade arises from the activity of British cruisers, the co-operation of part of the American squadron on the southern coast within the year, and its capture of two or three slavers bearing the flag of that nation, together with the measures adopted by the Brazilian government; and also that it may be said that the trade on this southern coast is now confined to a few vessels bearing the Sardinian flag.

“The British commander-in-chief has expressed himself equally sanguine as to the state of the trade; and is of the opinion that the continued presence of our vessels, in co-operation with the English, will tend to depress, if not effectually break up the traffic.

“The impression was entertained previously to joining this squadron, that the orders of our government—giving such narrow latitude to the commanders—superadded to the difficulty of getting a slaver condemned in the United States courts, that had not slaves actually on board, were almost insuperable obstacles to the American squadron’s effecting any thing of consequence towards the suppression of this iniquitous traffic, or even preventing the use of our flag in the trade. But observation and experience have entirely changed these views, and led to the conclusion that if even the commodore had a small-sized steamer—which is here wanted more than on any other station—in which he might visit the cruisers at points along the line of the slave-coast, that we should no more hear of a slaver using the American flag, than we do now of his using the British flag. Notwithstanding our legal commerce here exceeds that of Great Britain or France, yet the United States have not had, for a period of more than two years previous to the arrival of this vessel, an American man-of-war, an American consul, or a public functionary of any kind, on the southern coast of Africa. In consequence, the slave-trade has been boldly carried on under the American flag, while American legal traders have been annoyed, both by the interferences of foreign cruisers at sea, and custom-house restrictions and exactions in port.