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722

X. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS.

which we found on fire; was the
first that boarded her. The first
thing we did was to put out the
fire which we found in the maga-
xine below the cabin floor. One
of our men went down and found
a quantity of cotton and brim-
atone burning, also a elow match
ignited and communicating with
the magazine, The magazine
contained fourteen or sixteen

warter casks of powder; looked
dor the ship’s papers and log-
book; did not find them. We
then bent the echooner’s sails, and
went up the river, Had the ves-
sel in our possession ten or
twelve days; she was a long, low,
two topsail schooner; she was
sharp, and her masts raked a
great deal; her figure-head was
eut off; no name on her stern;
her deck was that of a slaver,
avith a grated hatchway. Tried to
get possession of the crew, but
foul not. When we left the
river, we took an inventory of
everything there waa on board;
then sailed for Cape Lopez,
where the schooner blew up; was
supposed that a spark of fire got
into the magazine. We lost two
officers and two men. She had a
Jong brass pivot gun abaft the
mainmast, and two short carron-
ades; @ six and a nine pounder.
‘We got one of the Panda’s crew
before we left the river (Simon
Domingo, the Portaguese). We
took four Portuguese after-
wards; one of them (Antonio
Silvera) and the man first taken
(Domingo), came with me in the
‘Savage, and are now in Boston.
A boat was sent up to the Afri-
con king, and he promised to
give the prisoners up. When wa
went for them the next morning,
the Prince came down and said
they should be brought to us as

soon as ‘the sun had gone to din-
ner’ (12 o'clock). The men, how-
ever, were never sent, We se
eared five of the Panda’s crew
at Fernando Po--and the cap
tain, the boy (Costa), Velazques
and cook at Cape Lopes. They
were kept on board the Curlew
during the ernise, and then sent
te England. Four or five were
apprebended at St. Thomas. The
prisoners were taken first to Piy-
mouth, and lastly to Portsmouth,
from ‘which place they were
brought to the United States,
Cross-examined, The Esper-
anza waa taken on suspicion of
aiding the crew of the Panda;
have heard that she carried some
of the prisoners and their money
to Fernando Po. Two or three
of the crew of the Esperanss
were taken to Portsmouth, and
some landed elsewhere. Don't
know whether the vessel was
libelled in England; don’t know
whether ahe was announced as a
pirate, The Esperanza earried
the English flag and pennant
some time after her capture. It
is customary to hoist the Eng-
lish flag when we take a prize,
but not the pennant, No Eng-
lish officer has a right to hoist
the pennant on any prize. Don’t
think the arrival of the prison-
es was announced in England.
Some of them were in irons on
board the Curlew, Two of them
went ashore with me in a boat—
Castillo and Garcia were the
men, Qne of our men was with
them when I left the boat, but
got drunk while I was away,
Castillo and Gareia might have
ron away if they liked, but I
think they would been speedily
retaken, as they did not know
the langnage; gave them come-
thing to drink; they rowed me

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